The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU College of Nursing has launched a revised gerontological certification review course for nurses who intend to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Gerontological Nurse Certification Examination. The course is designed for nurses who care for older adults in hospitals, nursing homes, or home care settings and is useful to any practicing nurse, nurse faculty, or student wanting to acquire fundamental knowledge of geriatric nursing care. The course is available at http://hartfordign.org/continuing_ed/cert_review/.
Organized to reflect the revised American Association of Colleges of Nursing (ANCC) examination, the Gerontological Nursing Certification Review Course is updated with new, state-of-the-science material addressing key clinical information and issues central to caring for the highly specialized needs of older adults. It also reviews financial, social, political, and cultural issues that affect nursing care for the elderly.
The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing has long promoted gerontological certification for nurses. In addition to ensuring competent care for elders, certification validates the nurse as a credible geriatric resource for his/her supervisors, physicians, and colleagues. It instills competence that is transferable to other job settings and often provides opportunities for professional advancement and compensation.
The course's nine-module design is consistent with the topics included in the ANCC Gerontological Nurse Certification Examination test outline:
* Module 1: Epidemiology, theories of aging, and financial, political, social, legal, and ethical issues
* Module 2: Nursing theories, models of gerontological care, standards and scopes of practice, research, quality improvement
* Module 3: Health promotion, age-related changes, and health issues: integumentary and sensory disorders
* Module 4: Health issues: cardiovascular, respiratory
* Module 5: Health issues: endocrine, immunologic, hematologic
* Module 6: Health issues: gastrointestinal, genitourinary
* Module 7: Health issues: neurological, musculoskeletal
* Module 8: Nutrition, pain, end-of-life, care, elder mistreatment
* Module 9: Medication issues, patient education, communication
The Gerontological Nursing Certification Review Course was revised based on a 2-day workshop created by Sharon Stahl Wexler, PhD, RN, BC. It is designed for self-paced study; the estimated time for completion is 10 hours. To access the course, users must register with the Hartford Institute site. The cost of the course is $150 for 10 contact hours, and the continuing education certificate is available to print online. Discounts are available for educational institutions and hospitals participating in the Hartford Institute's NICHE program. Contact [email protected] for more information.