Development of a Gerontology Graduate Certificate in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

J Gerontol Nurs. 2019 Oct 1;45(10):47-52. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20190825-02.

Abstract

Nurse practitioners (NPs) can provide safe, effective, quality care to older adults in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings. However, there is a paucity of exposure to PALTC settings in most NP educational programs. Therefore, the current authors developed an elective graduate certificate in gerontology with an emphasis in PALTC for NP students. The graduate certificate curriculum was developed by faculty with expertise in nursing and gerontology education. The PALTC certificate comprises 15 credit hours of online didactic courses, 80 leadership hours, 200 clinical hours, and a scholarly project dedicated to PALTC. Completion of a graduate certificate in PALTC is a novel model for preparing NP students for practice in PALTC settings. The current article serves as a framework for other programs to reference as they develop individualized graduate certificate PALTC programs in their academic institutions. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(10), 47-52.].

MeSH terms

  • Certification*
  • Clinical Competence
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Nursing, Graduate / organization & administration*
  • Geriatric Nursing / education*
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care