BACCALAUREATE CURRICULUM Gerontological Nursing Objectives

Abstract

1. Gerontological preparation for nursing practice is no longer a curricular luxury; it is a necessity. Baccalaureate nursing education must include broad content and guided practice in gerontological nursing. 2. Incorporating gerontology into a baccalaureate nursing curriculum often is a challenge. Reasons include gerontology not being a "traditional" specialty area; health care professionals in the United States, including nurses, not viewing older adults differently from younger adults; students not being expected to apply knowledge or concepts specifically related to gerontology; and efforts to incorporate gerontological content into a curriculum being resisted due to ageism--a "natural" avoidance of aging from which nursing faculty are not exempt. 3. Because of the limited numbers of nurses with an advanced education in gerontology, the recruitment of experienced, knowledgeable faculty is difficult. Most gerontology faculty are still largely self-taught and enter nursing education via the fields of medical/surgical, psychiatric, or community nursing. It is largely these faculty who must plan and "pioneer" gerontology in the curriculum.