Infusing gerontological nursing content into advanced practice nursing education

Nurs Outlook. 2007 Jan-Feb;55(1):38-43. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2006.09.006.

Abstract

The inclusion of gerontology content in the nursing curriculum is paramount as our population of older adults grows. As one of 10 recipients of the John A. Hartford Foundation/AACN awards for Enhancing Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing Education for Advanced Practice Nursing Programs, we successfully integrated gerontological/ geriatric content throughout core courses for all concentrations taught at the master's level. The Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies for Older Adult Care were used as a guide to integrate gerontological nursing content across the core courses. We present examples of content, strategies, and evaluation methods that demonstrate infusion of gerontology in a nursing theory course, research course, and healthcare law and policy course. Twenty-two of the competencies are addressed in these core courses and provide a foundation for further development in the support and specialty courses for the nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nursing administrator, nurse educator, and nurse anesthetist. We also present helpful Web-based resources for older adult care.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Competence
  • Curriculum*
  • Education, Nursing, Graduate / organization & administration*
  • Faculty, Nursing
  • Geriatric Nursing / education*
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Health Policy / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • North Carolina
  • Nurse Administrators / education
  • Nurse Anesthetists / education
  • Nurse Clinicians / education
  • Nurse Practitioners / education
  • Nurse's Role
  • Nursing Education Research / methods
  • Nursing Research / education
  • Nursing Theory
  • Program Development
  • Program Evaluation / methods
  • Training Support