Gerontological nursing practice standards: achievement and importance.

Area of Science:

• Gerontological Nursing
• Nursing Practice Standards

Background:

• The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Gerontological Nursing Practice were updated in 1987.
• The 1987 standards represent a new document rather than a simple revision of the 1976 version.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the 1987 ANA Standards of Gerontological Nursing Practice.
• To evaluate the progression, timeliness, scope, substance, and form of the new standards.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen nurses in a Midwest long-term care facility rated the achievement and importance of the 1987 standards.
• Descriptive data analysis was employed to evaluate the standards.

Main Results:

• The 1987 standards were found to be a new document, distinct from the 1976 version.
• Descriptive analysis indicated that 10 out of 11 standards had unmet expectations.
• One standard met expectations, but specific details were not provided.

Conclusions:

• Ongoing evaluation of gerontological nursing practice standards is crucial.
• Gerontological clinical nurse specialists play a key role in evaluating and refining these standards.
• The standards require further development to fully describe and prescribe professional nursing practice.