Addressing future demands: Development of an online gerontological nursing course

Geriatr Nurs. 2016 Sep-Oct;37(5):404-407. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2016.08.007. Epub 2016 Sep 9.

Abstract

Nursing students often hold negative views of and do not want to work with older people. Innovative approaches to engage nursing students in geriatric content hold the potential to improve attitudes, a crucial step in meeting the aging population's healthcare needs. This article describes the process of developing, implementing and evaluating an online, undergraduate nursing gerontology course. Development was based on Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory. Student reflections collected from approximately 200 individuals over two semesters about knowledge gained and the effect on attitudes about aging and older adults are summarized.

Keywords: Gerontology; Nursing education; Online learning.

MeSH terms

  • Career Choice
  • Curriculum*
  • Education, Distance / methods*
  • Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
  • Geriatric Nursing*
  • Health Services Needs and Demand / trends*
  • Models, Educational
  • Students, Nursing / psychology