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Gerontological nurses use knowledge, skill, resources, and creativity to facilitate quality of care and life for older adults. Lifelong learning by nurses is a must in order to grow personally and professionally to meet the ever-changing needs of the people they serve.
Gerontological nurses have a special combination of clinical expertise and a holistic approach to taking care of older people as people and not simply patients. These nurses look at where the person came from and where they are going relative to their dynamic health status. From monitoring the cardiac functions of an older person running in a marathon to easing pain and providing comfort during the dying process at the end of life, gerontological nurses embrace both caring and curing.
As individuals and as part of the professional organization, gerontological nurses advocate on behalf of older persons. Gerontological nurses confront ethical issues every day in caring for these people. As direct providers of care, these nurses are in a pivotal position to translate the needs of older persons from diverse care settings to the General Assembly and state agencies, where policies that impact on the elderly are written and legislated.
Through continuing education, peer networking, and professional standards, state-of- the-art information is communicated to nurses throughout the state. Position papers supporting gerontological nursing in the curriculum in schools of nursing have advanced the level of sensitivity and skill provided by nurses. Gerontological nurses also contribute to the literature through their own research and publications.