Background: Globally, the proportion of the older population increases daily. Discrimination against older people, or negative ageing attitudes, is increasing parallelly. To improve the quality of care provided to older people, it is important to determine the factors that lead to negative attitudes and behaviours of nurses toward older people. Aim: The present study aimed to examine normative behaviours and compassion as determinants of ageism in nursing students. Methods: A descriptive-relational study. This study was conducted in one nursing faculty in Turkey. One hundred sixty-eight fourth-year nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected with an information form, the Ageism Attitude Scale, the Intergenerational Normative Solidarity Scale, and the Compassion Scale. Multiple regression, regulatory, and mediation analyses were performed for data analysis. Results: Being a male student, visiting a nursing home, wanting to work in the geriatric unit, living in a rural area, intergenerational normative solidarity, and humanitarianism and empathy subdimensions of compassion scale were identified as determinants that prevent ageism. Intergenerational normative solidarity affects ageism both directly and indirectly through the compassion scale. Discussion/Conclusions: Increasing intergenerational normative solidarity and compassion positively affects nursing students' attitudes toward ageism.