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Why gerontology?
Today, more than at any other time in our nation's history,
nurses face an unprecedented challenge: caring for an
elderly population that is growing at an exponential
rate and showing no sign of slowing:
- Currently, 36 million Americans
are over the age of 65 (12% of the total population).
- By 2030, 71 million Americans
will be 65+ (19.6% of the total population).
- Half of all human beings who
have ever lived to be 65+ are currently alive.
- In 2006, a baby boomer will
turn 60 every 7.7 seconds.
- Older adults represent:
- 50% of hospital days
- 60% of all ambulatory adult
primary care visits
- 70% of all home care visits
- 85% of residents in nursing
homes
- 63% of newly licensed nurses
report that older adults comprise a majority of their
patient loads.
How has AACN
responded?
In 2001, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
responded to this crisis by securing two grants from
the John A. Hartford
Foundation (JHAF) to prepare nurses in gerontology:
- Creating Careers in Advanced
Practice Nursing - This grant aims to create
geriatric nursing leaders at the APN level and ultimately
improve care for older adults. In 2001 JAHF awarded
AACN $2 million and refunded the program in 2005 with
an additional $1.8 million. To date over 200 APN (GNP
& GCNS) students have participated in the program.
- Enhancing Geriatric Nursing
Education - This $3.9 million grant enabled
20 undergraduate and 10 graduate nursing programs
to gerontologize their nursing curricula. Efforts
in this fifth and final year are focused on dissemination
of these innovations
and lessons learned.
In 2005, AACN secured further funding
from the John A. Hartford Foundation to enhance gerontology
in senior-level undergraduate courses through faculty
development:
- GNEC -
Faculty Development -
Using a train-the-trainer approach, this $2.6 million
grant will equip nursing faculty with the tools and
knowledge to lead their colleagues in gerontologizing
senior-level curricula as well as teaching and mentoring
students in the care of older adults.
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