Southeastern Louisiana University, School of
Nursing
Hammond, Louisiana
Donnie Booth, PhD, Dean, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Barbara
Moffett, PhD, Director, School of Nursing
Joyce
Maynor, MSN, RN, C (Contact Faculty)
Phone:
(225) 765-2324 Fax: (225) 765-2315
E-Mail:
jmaynor@selu.edu
Abstract.
The
care of older adults is threaded throughout the curriculum of Southeastern
Louisiana University’s School of Nursing’s community-based curriculum. Curricular penetration is seen at all
levels. Courses address areas identified as priority areas in Healthy People 2010; competencies are derived from the AACN document The Essentials
of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing. Content
learned in cognate courses (developmental psychology, nutrition, pharmacology)
is expanded in nursing courses throughout the curriculum. Elective courses
(e.g. Death and Dying) also expand knowledge. The free-standing Gerontological
Nursing theory course is offered concurrently with the Adult Health Nursing
course, and addresses the normal aging process and variables that contribute to
deviations in health in older adult clients. In this course, as well as in the
required Gerontological Nursing Lab course, there is a strong emphasis on
healthy aging as well as health promotion and prevention for well and frail
older adults. In the clinical lab course, students utilize community activities
(e.g. National Senior Games, Louisiana Senior Olympics) that enable students to
work with well older people. At the synthesis level students address the needs
of older adult clients in their capstone project. A grant, Healthy Farm Families Initiative Prevention/
Intervention has enabled faculty to plan screening activities and teaching
projects with adults of all ages in rural farm areas. Faculty use diverse and innovative teaching strategies
to facilitate achievement of course objectives. Many creative ideas from web
sites are utilized, and experts (e.g. gerontological nurse practitioners) in
the community are often asked to teach specific content.
Innovation. Faculty
believe that in today’s society it is necessary to reach clients in the
community. With the current emphasis on moving health care to the community it
is important that students get experience with older adults in their
communities. Since older adults live in
a variety of housing alternatives, clinical experiences include working with
older adults in various types of housing such as individuals’ homes (through
home health visits) and assisted living facilities. In March, 2002, one group
of students in the community health course planned and conducted a health fair with
many screenings and informational booths. Strong efforts were made to reach
geriatric adults; students visited an apartment complex for geriatric people
and assisted living facilities to inform them of the fair. Indigent elder
persons were specifically targeted. In addition to screenings for a variety of
things, no cost mammograms were offered. Teaching regarding prevention was also
done. Students conducted follow-up visits with clients who had abnormal
results. At all levels of the curriculum, health promoting activities in rural
areas include health screenings and educational outreach at regional fairs,
festivals, dairy days, spring garden shows, women’s group meetings, Councils on
Aging, and community day programs.
Replication. Replication
of this curriculum could begin with a commitment to meeting the needs of older
adults in families and communities. Determining the expertise and commitment of
faculty would also be necessary. It would be necessary to determine what areas
nurses could impact. The support of community individuals and facilities that
work with older adults is also important. It would be important to think beyond
illness and frailty and to think also of health promotion and prevention.
Faculty would need to commit to developing activities in a broad variety of
settings to develop student awareness of older persons’ health patterns and
needs as well as developing the competencies needed to meet these needs.