Nursing (NURS) 442
Gerontological Nursing (Revision 4)
Revision 4 closed, replaced by current version.
View previous syllabus.
Delivery Mode:Individualized study online.
Note: Follow the instructions on the Undergraduate Course Registration form and select “Online” when asked for delivery mode. Online course materials cannot be accessed before your course start date.
Credits:3
Area of Study:Applied Studies
Prerequisite:This course is normally open only to baccalaureate nursing students.
Precluded Course:NURS 442 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for NURS 4441 in the Athabasca University at Mount Royal College Bachelor of Nursing Program.
Centre:Centre for Nursing and Health Studies
NURS 442 is not available for Challenge.
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Overview
Nursing 442: Gerontological Nursing provides an opportunity to explore the area of gerontological nursing, a field of nursing that focuses on the care of older adults. The course presents the unique health care needs of the older adult and introduces students to nursing approaches to managing those needs. Ethical/legal issues related to the nursing care of the older adults are explored.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of NURS 442, the student will achieve or exceed the following learning outcomes:
- Identify the unique health needs of older adults;
- Identify strategies related to assessment and prevention in the older adult;
- Explore the importance of families and other social supports;
- Identify nursing interventions related to a variety of health problems in the older adult;
- Critically analyze ethical issues related to the care of the older adult; and
- Identify research questions that remain unanswered both in your personal learning and in the profession of gerontological nursing.
Course Structure
Unit 1: Nursing in an Aging Society
Unit 2: Assessment of the Older Adult
Unit 3: Aging Families
Unit 4: Promoting Well-being
Unit 5: Living with Chronic Illness
Unit 6: Common Chronic Problems
Unit 7: Promoting Mobility
Unit 8: Medication and the Older Adult
Unit 9: Chronic and Acute Pain
Unit 10: Mental Health and Cognition
Unit 11: Legal and Ethical Issues, and Research in Gerontological Care
Evaluation
To receive credit for NURS 442, you must complete and submit all of the required assignments and achieve a composite grade of “C-” (60%). Effective January 1, 2010, all papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) (2010).
The assignments and weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| End of Unit Questions | 15% |
| Conference Postings from Selected Topics | 20% |
| Aging and Chronic Illness Paper | 30% |
| Ethical Issue Paper | 35% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbook
Ebersole, P., Hess, P., Touhy, T., Jett, K., & Luggen, A. (2008). Toward healthy aging: Human needs and nursing response (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Other materials
Students will receive an Access Letter in the course package with instructions for gaining access to this online course. A variety of electronic journal articles and websites are used in the course and paper copies are not included in the course package.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 4, February 12, 2008.
View previous syllabus
Last updated by SAS 09/10/2013 12:09:42
