Discover how gerontology nurses provide holistic care, advocate for their patients, and engage in continuous learning to meet the evolving needs of an aging population. Join a dynamic field with growing demand and professional growth and fulfillment opportunities.
Every type of nursing career has a long list of challenges and rewards to consider when assessing whether moving into it is the right move. If one is wondering whether gerontology might offer the satisfaction needed from work, then this look at why it is a unique and rewarding career will give the answers.
In this article
What is gerontology?
The simple answer to this question is that gerontology is a study of the effects of the aging process, aimed at helping us improve how we care for older adults. However, when we look at it more closely, we can see that it is a lot deeper than that. This is described as an evidence-based nursing specialty based on the study of getting older and how it impacts various aspects of our lives, but what does it mean in terms of the job carried out by nurses? To start with, we need to make clear that gerontology is different from geriatrics, which is about treating older adults with existing diseases, although the roles do have some inevitable crossover at different points. The word gerontology has been in use for more than a century and it is a broad field that includes work done by researchers, social workers, and occupational therapists, among many others.
Overall, gerontology looks at the unique aspects of aging and how to address them to avoid them having a serious negative impact on our lives. This means understanding the economic, cultural, and spiritual issues of getting older. In terms of health, it covers areas including how to prevent illness and promote better health as part of an improved lifestyle for people. This is part of an approach that covers advocacy for an aging population and helping them to maintain their healthy, independent lifestyles for longer. As we will see in a moment, this is more important than ever before in the modern world, so it is a subject that is currently of interest to a lot of people and seems sure to become even more vital before long.
How does nursing fit into gerontology?
Nursing is a crucial part of this approach, as these are the people who have direct contact with patients and help to pass on the advice that others have researched and documented. Nurses make sure that their patients get the right advice at the right time and carry it out correctly, so they could be considered to be the final step in the process where everyone else’s efforts result in a real-life patient receiving the practical care and attention they need for a better life. While the term geriatric nursing is often used interchangeably with gerontology, one should bear in mind the earlier differences we pointed out. Rather than simply treating existing illnesses, gerontology nursing is a holistic approach that looks to help patients in every aspect of their lives as they get older and meet new challenges.
Despite this distinction between these different types of nursing, nurses might find that they work with patients who need help managing chronic conditions in a gerontology role. In this case, they need to look after the patient while using their knowledge to help maintain their quality of life despite the presence of the existing condition. This might mean helping patients prevent illnesses from occurring and keeping them safe from accidents and other problems that could affect their quality of life. A gerontology nurse is dedicated to giving each patient the healthiest way of living for as long as possible. Their daily role tends to involve a wide variety of duties. This includes assessing the patient’s vital signs when necessary, monitoring for signs of abuse, and helping them with daily activities which could include managing their medication and maintaining their hygiene levels.
A nurse in this field may also have to develop plans for the treatment and medication of their patients, as well as the other tasks associated with caring for older people. Education is also a huge part of the job, as a gerontology nurse will be expected to help their patients and caretakers understand the best ways of managing age-related conditions with as little loss of independence and lifestyle as possible. It is easy to see that without nurses, the entire field of gerontology would be irrelevant. All the studies and research that have been carried out to find out how we can age more healthily would not be worth much without the people on the front line who put the theory into practice with their expertise.
What kind of person suits this nursing role?
This is a person-centered role that is most suitable for someone who has a patient and compassionate outlook. Dealing with older people is not a chore to them and they are keen to find new ways to get the right messages across so that they genuinely make a difference in people’s lives. It is a career best suited to someone keen to carry on continuously learning and adapting. This information about an Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program, such as that offered by Wilkes University, reveals how clinical placement support plays an important part in allowing nurses to gain the skills and experience needed to carry out this role successfully. This online program equips its students with the ability to address the ever-growing needs of nurse practitioners in specialized primary care. It enables its students to provide continuous care, provide treatment plans, and order specific testing that their patients might require.
An understanding of the aging process and how it affects our lifestyles makes up an important part of the knowledge one needs to have to enter this role. However, this is far from being the only knowledge that one needs, as the position also involves carrying out many standard nursing tasks. It is also worth bearing in mind that nurses need to be able to communicate well with their patients, using verbal and nonverbal communication skills to get a clear understanding of the patient’s needs. This role could be interesting to someone who has already started a nursing career and is now looking for a change of focus to better suit their skills and interests. If one has already been working as a nurse, they may find that the chance to move into this specialty is tempting if this subject appears to be a good match with their personality and skills. On the other hand, it can also prove to be a good starting point for someone who has just completed their nursing training and is looking to get into their first job. As with every type of nursing role, it is not perfect for everyone, but it is ideal for those nurses who feel that this is exactly the type of career that they would like to carry out.
Why is it such a rewarding area?
This is a fast-growing area of nursing that has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years. It is something that has caught the imagination of plenty of people, but what are the key elements that make gerontology so appealing right now? As a holistic and person-centered role, gerontology nursing is a highly rewarding career that offers a chance to build and genuinely help others. For many nurses, it gives them a chance to feel that they are making a difference, which is the reason many entered this career in the first place. If someone feels less than satisfied with their contribution to another type of nursing, this could be a great way for them to get their career back on track.
This role gives nurses the satisfaction of seeing how their patients get to carry on with the independent lifestyle that they promote and encourage. It is extremely rewarding for nurses to see that a person they are caring for can enjoy a good quality of life thanks in part to their advice and hard work. This area can provide a clear career path and while the salary varies between roles, it tends to be rewarding financially, as well as emotionally. For many nurses, the joy of seeing their patients continuing to live active and happy lives thanks to the advice and care that they give is the greatest reward of all.
Why is gerontology more important than ever before?
It is no secret that the world population is aging faster than at any previous stage in history. The combination of a historically low birth rate and incredible medical advances that help us to cure diseases and live longer means that a fifth of the global population will be aged 70 or over by the end of this century. If we look specifically at the US, the situation is just as dramatic. In 2020, the American population included 58 million people aged 65 or older. By the time 2050 comes around, we can expect this number to surge to over 82 million, according to current projections. This is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down, as birth rates continue to drop and research suggests that the average life expectancy should carry on climbing. The COVID pandemic had the effect of lowering life expectancy among Americans, just as it did elsewhere. While this pandemic was particularly harsh on older people, it is interesting to note that in the US life expectancy carried on falling after the numbers started to rebound in other countries. The US is behind many other developed nations including the UK, Germany, France, and Canada with its life expectancy rates.
This suggests that there is still a lot of work to be done to improve the quality and length of life among Americans. Research on the quality of life among the older population is still lacking, but it seems clear that this is going to become a major issue as the older population grows larger and the issues they face become even more vital on a global scale. For example, as people get older all over the planet, one of the major concerns is how that will affect the economy. Having a large population of sick people who have lost their independence and need a lot of support could be a disaster for the global economy, as it would put increased pressure on the younger, working population to support them. Giving help and advice to older people before their lifestyle starts to decline could be the key to avoiding the sort of deep economic and social impact that some researchers fear will occur in the next few decades. We can already see an increase in the level of interest in areas such as the over-50s dating scene and hobbies for the older population. People now expect to have a full, healthy life for far longer than ever before, which is why there is a lot of emphasis on finding the right way to retire while healthy and financially stable, to enjoy a long and peaceful retirement.
How to get started?
Those who value the importance of this role and feel that they have the outlook and personality needed for it may wonder what their next steps should be. Like any nursing role, one needs to carry out training and get the experience needed to perform the tasks to the highest possible standard. Nurses from many different backgrounds work in gerontology, in settings that range from hospitals to community centers, nursing facilities, and in patients’ own homes. This makes it a highly varied role that can be carried out in many interesting ways. Once nurses have attained the qualifications needed to apply for a role, they will discover that this is a thriving market right now. As we have seen, the older population is expected to grow even more in the future, so this is a job that is going to become even more important before long.
All of this makes it seem like a sensible choice for anyone looking for a role that is emotionally fulfilling and offers them a chance for stability and worthwhile financial rewards along the way.
