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Core Competencies for Geriatric Nursing Care

Wed, 11/15/2000 - 1:00am — Karen Stevenson
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Nurses who graduate from bachelor's-degree programs should have the skill to recognize the complex interactions of acute and chronic conditions common in the elderly, use technology to enhance older adults' independence and safety, and assess older adults' physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual status, say new guidelines issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the John A Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing (Hartford Institute).

They point out that over 48% of hospital patients, 80% of home care patients, and 85% of all residents of nursing homes are elderly. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of nurses practicing in this country today are, by default, geriatric nurses. In spite of that, the number of master's prepared geriatric nurses remains very small. Approximately 1,800 nurses nationally are certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as Geriatric Nurse Practitioners, and only 500+ are certified as Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialists (GCNS).

AACN publication "The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice" provides a framework for developing, defining, and revising baccalaureate nursing curricula. This document addresses the professional values, core competencies, core knowledge, and role of the professional nurse. In addition, the document stresses the need for course work and clinical experiences to prepare the graduate to provide care across the lifespan, with particular attention to changes due to aging.

Nurses who graduate from bachelor's-degree programs should have the skill to recognize the complex interactions of acute and chronic conditions common in the elderly, use technology to enhance older adults' independence and safety, and assess older adults' physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual status, say new guidelines issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the John A Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing (Hartford Institute).

They point out that over 48% of hospital patients, 80% of home care patients, and 85% of all residents of nursing homes are elderly. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of nurses practicing in this country today are, by default, geriatric nurses. In spite of that, the number of master's prepared geriatric nurses remains very small. Approximately 1,800 nurses nationally are certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as Geriatric Nurse Practitioners, and only 500+ are certified as Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialists (GCNS).

AACN publication "The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice" provides a framework for developing, defining, and revising baccalaureate nursing curricula. This document addresses the professional values, core competencies, core knowledge, and role of the professional nurse. In addition, the document stresses the need for course work and clinical experiences to prepare the graduate to provide care across the lifespan, with particular attention to changes due to aging.