Nursing of the elderly

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Nursing of the Elderly is a medical field involving care for elderly or geriatric nursing care. Older nurses are the most important professionals in the field because they often provide daily care for older patients and home care elderly. As the life expectancy of humans increases and the baby boomers begin to age, the demand for gerontology nurses is expected to increase dramatically.

Nursing of the Elderly includes basic care, psychology, physiology, body care, and memory care.

Nursing of the elderly students usually works in medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics. They also work in residential care facilities such as nursing homes and retirement communities. Some geriatric nurses also work in family health care and go to the patient's home to take care of them.

A geriatric nurse with a nursing of the elderly degree helps elderly patients. These older people are at higher risk for injuries and diseases such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and cancer, which is why geriatric nurses focus on preventive care. They also help patients and their families cope with certain diseases that develop later in life. As a geriatric nurse, you can work in nursing homes, home health care services, and hospice care facilities to care for bedridden patients, impaired patients, and patients with pain.

CHARACTERISTICS THAT NURSES NEED

1. Compassion

The sad truth is that most elderly patients approach the end of life when they need help from a nurse. They may not have received hospice care, but medical problems often begin to accumulate in people in the last years of their lives. For geriatric nurse practitioners, it is vital to be as compassionate as their patients. The person you care for may be incontinent or unable to take a bath yourself, but this does not mean that their personal pride, guilt, and desire for autonomy have disappeared.

2. Pay attention to details

One of the main signs of aged care is preventive care. Your patients are at a much higher risk than young people with serious diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis. Therefore, it is important to adjust each patient's medical chart and complaint list so that you can help them avoid or deal with any of these potential problems. You need to be able to quickly and thoroughly assess someone's medical history and create a preventive plan that suits their needs.

3. Patience

All types of people need their nurses to have great patience, but older patients are especially difficult for those who will soon feel annoyed. Nurses who choose to work in geriatrics should be able to listen carefully to patients who may be slow to talk and show high levels of confusion. Patience is also needed when dealing with family members who may need full-time care during difficult times.

4. Courage to challenge

People with dementia can be very challenging, but they also offer creative opportunities for nurses. In fact, it is necessary to use your creativity for many elderly patients because their treatment plan may include a list of multiple variables. Being able to think creatively about each person's physical and emotional needs to implement a successful treatment plan is key to becoming a good geriatric nurse.

CAREER PROSPECTS

• Geriatric Nurse

• Nursing Home - Staff Nurse

• Nursing Home - Head Nurse

• Geriatrics - Staff Nurse

• Hospice Care - Staff Nurse

SAMPLE COURSES 

• Basic care 

• Psychology 

• Physiology 

• Body care 

• Memory care