Date of Award

Fall 1993

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Schank, Mary Jane

Second Advisor

Fitzgerald Miller, Judith

Third Advisor

Stollenwerk, Ruth

Abstract

The purpose of this survey was to explore the nature and amount of gerontological nursing content currently being taught in midwest baccalaureate programs. Using a descriptive exploratory design, a random sample of 26 schools was chosen from the 173 baccalaureate nursing programs accredited by the National League for Nursing in 13 midwestern states. An adaptation of Brower's (1993) Gerontological Content in Nursing Curricula Survey (GCNCS) was utilized to investigate the nature and amount of gerontological nursing content taught and clinical experiences provided in midwest baccalaureate nursing programs. Permission was obtained from H. Terri Brower to use and adapt her 1993 GCNCS instrument. The survey queried respondents regarding gerontological content currently being taught. Findings of the study revealed that a wide range of gerontological content areas were included predominantly in nursing courses, or in a combination of nursing and non-nursing courses. These content areas were included primarily at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels of the baccalaureate nursing programs surveyed. Some content areas were seldom taught while other content areas were taught over the four years of the program. Health promotion or health maintenance activities, community resources specific to older persons, and professional development were absent at the freshman level of all baccalaureate nursing programs surveyed. The content areas seldom taught at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels of the program were: group work, community resources specific to older adults, comprehensive geriatric evaluation, and professional development. The results support the finding from the review of nursing literature that gerontological nursing content is most frequently integrated throughout the baccalaureate nursing program (Collins & Brown, 1989; Edel, 1986; Hirst & Metcalf, 1989; Johnson & Connelly, 1990; Malliarakis & Heine, 1990; Solon, Kilpatrick, & Hill, 1988). An important point to note in Malliarakis & Heine, 1990; Solon, Kilpatrick, & Hill, 1988). An important point to note in this study, however, was a growing trend towards integrating gerontological nursing content and requiring a separate gerontological nursing course. Approximately 54% of the respondents indicated inclusion of a gerontological clinical component as a part of the nursing curricula. A number of settings were used for older adult clinical experiences. The two most frequently used settings were home health care and nursing home care. Home health care experiences occurred predominantly in conjunction with community health, family health, and health maintenance nursing theory courses. The nursing home care experience predominantly occurred in conjunction with health assessment, long-term care, tertiary care, and fundamental nursing theory courses. The data revealed that over 60% of the schools had increased the number of gerontological courses or content within their curricula during the last five years. The adequacy of gerontological nursing content (as indicated in this study) in midwest baccalaureate nursing curriculum varied extensively from program to program. Development of gerontological nursing education is needed before this specialty receives the same status and recognition accorded to other nursing specialty areas. Overcrowded curricula have been cited in the literature as one of the main hinderances for this inequality (Beckingham, VanMaanen, & McKnight, 1992; Edel, 1986; Hogstel, 1988; Knowles, 1983; Rankin & Burggraf, 1983; Tollett & Tomby, 1982). However, demographic trends of an increasingly aging society demands this issue be dealt with so that gerontological nursing education gets the full status and recognition it deserves.

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