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Tuskegee University's principal investigator
Kate Jackson, MSN, recruited Dr. Martha Crowther, clinical
psychologist from the University of Alabama's School of Public
Health, Department of Health Behavior, to teach this course.
First offered in the fall of 2004 as a pass/fail elective,
it aimed to attract and introduce to gerontology nursing,
as many junior and senior baccalaureate students as possible.
Dr. Crowther, an under-40 African-American female, bonded
quickly and easily with her 21 student all African-American
female class, given her own youth, shared gender and ethnic
background, affiliation with a profession separate from nursing,
and her unique psychological, ethno-geriatric perspective.
At the course's beginning, Dr. Crowther used
the Palmore's
Facts on Aging Quiz to track her students' knowledge level
regarding older adults, and to in turn, motivate discussion.
She learned that in their short lives to that point, they
simply had not given much thought at all to senior citizens;
they had no idea for instance, that their own parents and
grand-parents were members of the fastest growing segment
of our nation's aging population, ethnic minorities. Throughout,
she made the topics relevant to her students. When discussing
use of the Mini-Mental
Exam, she had her students take the exam themselves, inspiring
conversation regarding the use of cognitive function evaluations
on the elderly. She used the 2004 presidential election to
liven up classroom discussions, as she related politics and
health care issues to elders.
Although curriculum development pre-dated her
recruitment, she modified the coursework to include gerontology-psychology.
She integrated material from Gwynn
Yeo's Curriculum in Ethno-Geriatrics, an excellent resource.
For instance, when discussing elders' declining physical health,
she alerted her students to learn and recognize the often
accompanying early signs of depression. She brought in timely
discussion topics from her favorite National Public Radio,
and used case examples to demonstrate issues. For instance,
to begin discussion about the infusion of the role of religion/spirituality
in health care, she discussed her colleague's interview with
an older African American gentleman, who refused medication
for his hypertension because, "God will fix it."
Lively discussion ensued regarding the nurse role when patient
belief systems sabotage recovery.
Each student located an older adult in her community
to interview. She related the interview to a topic of her
choice that had been covered in class (i.e. the Depression,
World War II, 9/11's impact, child rearing, etc.). Dr. Crowther
reports that these interviews significantly increased student
awareness of the many struggles and triumphs experienced by
our nation's elderly, whose lives have endured through so
many decades. (Student
interviews)
Given that gerontology/psychology is rarely
taught at the undergraduate level, Tuskegee
was lucky to find Dr. Martha Crowther to offer such a course.
Not only did she enhance the curriculum with a unique ethno/psych
geriatric perspective, but she also brought experience and
passion to the classroom that ignited student interest
and ensured the course's continued popularity.
Palmore's
Facts on Aging Quiz
Mini-Mental
Status Exam
Curriculum
in Ethno-Geriatrics
Instructor
Evaluation Summary
Syllabus
Student
Interviews with Elders
Lessons
Learned
Principal Investigator Contact Information
Katie L. Jackson, MSN
Assistant Professor
Tuskegee University
College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health
209 Basil O'Connor Hall
Tuskegee, Alabama 36088
334-727-8188
kljackson@tuskegee.edu
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