I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Gerontological Nursing

2. Course Prefix & Number:
PNUR 1166

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Lecture Hours: 2

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course covers aging and the aging process.  Students will identify physical, psychosocial and health needs of the elderly population.  The course emphasizes the role of the nurse in health promotion of older adults, focusing on maximizing potential and minimizing the effects of aging.  Some topics covered include; medication interaction with the elderly, elder abuse, community resources and common illnesses of the elderly.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

7. Other Prerequisites
Admission to the Practical Nursing Program

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Alexandria Technical College, PNSG 1619 Nursing of aging, 3 credits
Ridgewater College, NURS 1300 Nursing of adults, 4 credits

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Practical Nursing, Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Communicate effectively with aging population, and demonstrate effectiveness through written paper.
Apply ethical principles in decision-making	Write a paper taking a stand on one side of a medical ethics issue using proper spelling and grammar as well as references.
Work as a team member to achieve shared goals	Effectively work with classmates to present information on aging in the elderly through a group presentation.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Interpret theories on aging;
• Discover myths on aging including ageism, and student's attitudes toward the aging population;
• Discover services available in the community for the aging populaiton, including government programs;
• Interpret legal/ethical issues related to the aging population, including elder abuse;
• Relate major physical changes as the body ages;
• Choose ways nurses can help older adults cope with the aging changes;
• Analyze restorative nursing and the nursing role;
• Compare factors that affect drug interactions with the elderly and nursing interventions used in medicaiton administration;
• Examine common illnesses in the elderly;
• Compare Alzheimer's disease, including the stages of the disease;
• Recognize the nurse's role in caring for a patient with behavioral changes;
• Compare the stages of death and dying and the nurse's role in each stage, including interventions; and
• Examine Hospice care

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Theories on aging
2. Demographics of aging
3. Culturally specific elderly care
4. Holistic model of gerontological nursing
5. Legal aspects of gerontological nursing
6. Ethical aspects of gerontological nursing
7. End of life issues
8. Discuss physical aging changes in the elderly
9. Continuum of care in gerontological nursing
10. Self-care for the gerontological nurse
11. Safety
12. Nutrition and hydration
13. Living with chronic conditions
14. Infections
15. Sexuality and intimacy
16. Rest and sleep
17. Comfort and pain management
18. Rehabilitative care
19. Safe medication use
20. Mental health disorders
21. Delirium and dementia