Gerontology Minor for Nurse Practitioners

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An 8-credit Gerontology Minor for Nurse Practitioners (NP) can be obtained by DNP students who are enrolled in the Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner (FNP) DNP or the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) DNP area of concentration.

The Nurse Practitioner functions in an expanded role that includes the diagnoses and management of health care needs of a specific population and this curriculum will prepare the Nurse Practitioner to develop expertise in the care of older adults. The gerontology courses are specifically designed to address the needs of the older adult in regard to the common geriatric syndromes, geriatric economic and social issues and the unique presentation of disease. Content includes an emphasis on chronic conditions, multi-morbidity, and internal medicine.

The diagnosis and management of these conditions will be emphasized in keeping with the role of the Nurse Practitioner. The courses were designed using national standards for nurse practitioner education through a combination of didactic and clinical learning experiences.

The Gerontology Minor is an 8 - credit curriculum available to DNP students currently enrolled in the Family (Individual Across the Lifespan) Nurse Practitioner (FNP) DNP or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) DNP programs who want to increase their knowledge and expertise related to the diagnosis and management of health care needs in the care of older adults.