Birds of a feather: introducing a virtual learning community for geriatric nurse educators

The Duke Geriatric Nursing Education Virtual Learning Community (Gero-VLC) is a newly developed online inquiry network that enables geriatric nurse educators to borrow, share, and collaborate to promote in-depth learning and optimal communication among instructors. Recently launched, the Gero-VLC website was developed to meet the needs of nurse educators who face increasing demands to develop quality, learner-centered online instruction focused on evidence-based geriatric care. Through the Gero-VLC, nurse educators can connect with nurse clinicians expert in geriatric care; access state-of-the-science information and learning opportunities; participate in collaborative projects; and publish their work on the North Carolina Learning Object Repository. The authors present the Gero-VLC as a best practice for online geriatric nursing education, describe its theoretical underpinnings, and outline a strategy for evaluation.