Lessons learned from a mentored graduate program in gerontological nursing.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Advanced Practice Nursing Education
• Long-Term Care Nursing

Background:

• Nurses in long-term care (LTC) facilities require specialized gerontological advanced practice training.
• Existing programs may not accommodate the schedules of full-time working nurses.
• There is a need for flexible educational models to enhance the gerontological nursing workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a part-time, mentored gerontological advanced practice nursing program.
• To enable registered nurses in LTC facilities to pursue advanced education while maintaining full-time employment.
• To improve board certification rates in gerontological advanced practice nursing.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year educational training grant funded the project.
• Recruited an ethnically diverse cohort of nurses, primarily from a partner LTC facility.
• Implemented a part-time curriculum with a strong mentoring component, including tutoring, professional development, and writing support.

Main Results:

• The mentored model provided comprehensive support, fostering student success.
• Faculty gained insights into effective mentoring, tutoring, curriculum design, and student support strategies.
• The program facilitated nurses' pursuit of board certification in gerontological advanced practice nursing.

Conclusions:

• A part-time, mentored educational model can successfully train nurses for gerontological advanced practice.
• Flexibility in curriculum and robust support systems are crucial for working nurses.
• Continuous evaluation and refinement of the part-time curriculum are recommended.