Nursing Care of Older Adults (n492H)
Course Number: 492H
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Current RN license
Course Description
This course examines the role of the nurse as a practitioner and advocate of quality of life and wellness for older adults across the continuum of care. Nursing interventions to maintain and enhance physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being are emphasized as keys to successful gerontological nursing. Major theories of aging will be discussed. Age related changes in physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning are discussed. Other topics of study include caregiver issues and strategies, ethical issues, resident rights, behavior management, and aging resources.
Course Objectives
- Explain the relevance of specific nursing and interdisciplinary theories to the health-seeking and health-supporting responses of older adults and their families.
- Analyze adaptation and self-care problems experienced by older clients and their families to identify implications for nursing practice.
- Understand appropriate communication techniques to be used with older clients and their families during therapeutic interactions and during collaborative efforts with other health care providers.
- Describe suitable therapeutic nursing interventions to treat the health-seeking and health-supporting responses of older clients in a variety of settings.
- Analyze ways in which professional nurses can adapt their practice to improve the quality of nursing care with older clients and their families.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the advocacy role with older clients.
- Discuss ethical dilemmas relative to the older clients' health care.