To investigate what prevents undergraduate nursing students from choosing gerontological nursing as a career option.

This study utilised an integrative literature review, which allows the inclusion of previous studies with diverse research designs to gain a broader view of the reasons why nursing students do not choose a gerontological nursing career.

An electronic database search of CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus and Eric elicited 251 scientific peer‐reviewed empirical studies, published from 2006 to March 2016 in English. After meeting the inclusion criteria, 97 qualified for closer examination. Following exclusion, the final analysis and synthesis included 21 articles.

Four main themes described nursing students’ contributing reasons for not selecting gerontological nursing as a career option: socio‐demographic factors; experiences, perceptions and knowledge about ageing; perceptions concerning the nature or status of gerontological nursing; and theoretical studies and practical education of nursing curriculum.

Lack of positive experiences with older people before and during nursing students’ studies led to their disinterest in gerontological nursing as a career option. The nursing curriculum also reinforces the perception of modern nursing as technical, with more emphasis on acute and critical care. The findings emphasise the need to implement an age‐friendly curriculum and have nurses that specialise in gerontology to serve as mentors and role models. It is important to assist nursing students in identifying the potentials for career advancement in terms of gerontological nursing. There is also a need for nursing faculties to liaise with other stakeholders to develop or improve upon the clinical atmosphere for nursing students during gerontological nursing placement.

Nursing faculties must review their curriculum to ensure that there is sufficient focus on the needs of older people within the curriculum for every student. Furthermore, respected role models who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about issues related to older people must teach gerontological nursing courses.