Isolation followed by integration: a model for development of a separate geriatric course

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Nursing Education
• Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum

Background:

• Increasing geriatric population in the U.S. necessitates improved nursing education.
• Debate exists on integrating geriatric content versus a standalone course in nursing programs.
• A university received a grant to integrate geriatric nursing across its baccalaureate curriculum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of geriatric curriculum integration.
• To address faculty and student needs for foundational geriatric knowledge early in the program.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a grant-funded geriatric curriculum integration strategy.
• Curriculum evaluation meeting held midway through the grant period.
• Faculty feedback collection and analysis.

Main Results:

• Faculty identified a need for earlier, concentrated geriatric content.
• A unanimous decision was made to establish a dedicated geriatric nursing course.
• The new course is intended for second-year baccalaureate nursing students.

Conclusions:

• A standalone geriatric nursing course is preferred over full curriculum integration for foundational learning.
• Early introduction of concentrated geriatric content supports progressive knowledge development in nursing students.
• Curriculum adaptation is essential to meet the evolving educational needs of nursing faculty and students in geriatrics.