Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
The Ins and Outs of Being a Gero Nurse
Jan 22, 2019
With excerpts from Gerontological Nurse Certification Review, Second Edition, by Alison E. Kris RN, PhD
Thinking about being a Gero nurse? The nursing profession is a robust field, with certifications running the gamut of clinical, managerial, and educational specialties. But which is the best choice for you? Here, we’ll take a deep dive into what it means to be a Gerontological Nurse.
Gerontological Nurse: What Does It Mean?
After becoming a licensed RN, gerontological nurses interested in board certification can take the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Gerontological Nursing board certification examination. After meeting the eligibility requirements and successfully passing the competency-based exam, you’ll be awarded with the credential RN-BC.
What Does a Gerontological Nurse Do?
Gerontological nurses are specifically trained to meet the unique physiological and psycho-social needs of older adults by conducting nursing assessments, ordering lab work, managing pain, and developing individualized patient-centered care plans. You’ll be involved with not only your elderly patients but also with their families and communities, working to support healthy aging, maximum functioning, and the best quality of life possible.
Typical settings for nurses certified in this area are acute care facilities, long-term care settings, primary care offices, and home care.
What Type of Person Is a Gerontological Nurse?
A gerontological nurse needs to understand that frailty is a big factor when it comes to the health of an older adult patient, who may not recover as easily from illness as younger patients. As with any patient, compassion and patience are musts, especially when working with patients whose mental status is altered, for example, patients with dementia or depression. Good communication skills are also necessary, as you’ll often be working with the patient’s family as well. Last, you need to be able to handle patient deaths gracefully. While all nurses will care for patients who die, this will be a frequent occurrence in this field and you’ll need to be compassionate and resilient.
How Do I Become a Gerontological Nurse?
To become a board-certified gerontological nurse, you must have an active RN license, documentation that you’ve practiced full time as an RN for the equivalent of two years, a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice in gerontology within the past three years, and documentation of 30 continuing-education hours in the gerontology specialty that you’ve acquired in the past three years. Finally, to obtain an RN-BC certification from the ANCC, you’ll have to pass the computer-based certification exam. And don’t forget—this certification needs to be renewed every five years!
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Resources
Becoming a Geriatric Nurse. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://everynurse.org/becoming-a-geriatric-nurse/
Kris, A. E. (2015). Gerontological Nurse Certification Review, Second Edition. New York: Springer Publishing.
Mental Health of Older Adults. (December 12, 2017). Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults