Gerontological nursing
[1] Gerontological nurses work in collaboration with older adults, their families, and communities to support healthy aging, maximum functioning, and quality of life.
[3] Due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates, the proportion of the population that is considered old is increasing.
Professional nursing involves the use of culturally competent care combined with scientific research to deliver clinical expertise.
[10] Geriatric nurses are expected to be skilled in patient care, treatment planning, education, mental health, and rehabilitation.
Elderly people with poor vision can be given reading materials with larger font, be provided with magnifying glasses, and brighter lighting.
Assisted living facilities are also known as senior retirement homes, and they provide care services depending on health conditions.
These advance practice nurses are active in a variety of settings across the continuum including primary, acute, post-acute and long-term care.
GAPNA an organization for advanced practice nurses seeking continuing education in gerontological care as well as networking and peer support from experienced clinicians.
[21] A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted by Negad (2017), it was found that to attract more nurse's higher compensation and health insurance should be offered.
Nurses should have safe working conditions, onsite training and education, support from administration, flexible scheduling and sign on bonuses.
This increase requires an educated nursing staff who equipped to provide care to the needs of this growing aging population.
[4] Gerontological nurses walk a tight rope stretching across the centuries from the past to the present that introduced the notion that those who entered could survive and recover.
[4][28] Pioneers in the field of gerontological nursing include Vera McIver,[29] Doris Schwartz,[30] Mary Opal Wolanin.
The resource center provides nurses with the opportunity to review evidenced based articles to learn about how to care for the older adult.
[37] A writer in 1956 requested that nurses refocus their research to include major health issues of the time and how to support the frail elderly.
The older patient has more comorbidities and different mental health issues that affect their daily living activities.
Bowers (2020) states that falls are one common area gerontological nursing research needs to focus on to continue to improve quality of life in the older patient.
When it comes to managing care of older adults, it's important to properly assess their needs and correlate any associating risk factors.
[39] The TCM is an intervention nurses primarily use in conjunction with the collaboration of patients and their families as well as members of associating healthcare disciplines.
When implemented in practice, the TCM has had findings wherein there were fewer reports of patients being rehospitalized, leading to a decrease in overall healthcare costs (Hirschman et al., 2015).
[43] Post graduate certificates in gerontological nursing are also available by completing continuing education courses through colleges and universities.
According to Boutin et al. (2019), newly licensed associate degree registered nurses have not yet acquired the knowledge, skills, or attitudes to effectively care for this aging population.
[54] Another study conducted by Negad (2017) found a challenge nurse's experience are having poor relationships with families and residents.
Interdisciplinary team approaches provide better health support for the rural elderly population than just having a single discipline.
Policies and services need to be specifically tailored to the older population including housing, employment, healthcare, infrastructure, and protection.
Systems must manage health promotion, gender equality, employment, reduce inequity across countries, and collaborate to include global societies.
[59] Knowledge and understanding of various cultures and their beliefs, values, and practices is vital in caring for older adults worldwide.
Because of the shift globally in the aging population, more gerontological education in nursing curriculums and clinical experiences must be incorporated.
[59] Nurses must prepare to deliver safe, effective, quality care to this population, including learning to recognize the unique differences in cultural needs across the world.
Booker (2015)[59] suggests an International service-learning curriculum aimed at teaching principles on cross-cultural gerontology, including voluntary services in other countries as a student to gain insight into the social determinants and healthcare practices, outcomes, and policy issues in diverse populations.
