Americans Got Nurses Interview Article – Geriatric Nurse
Dec 6, 2014 | 12:00 pm
What Does a Geriatric Nurse Need to Know?
There are many problems associated with the natural aging process. As we grow older, we develop chronic health issues, such as diabetes II, high blood pressure, incontinence, and mental diseases that affect cognitive abilities and memory. Geriatric nurses need to be able to assess and understand health issues as they occur and discuss with their patients any concerns they may have, such as frequent falls, and changes in sleep patterns or sexual issues. The geriatric nurse organizes the patient’s medication and explains and recommends adjustments to the medication to ensure effective treatment.
Where do Geriatric Nurses Work?
The trend in recent years among the elderly is to choose preparation for their end of life at home. Although hospital hospice is still commonly used, short stays have become more of the norm, with patients entering only for acute health issues, such as a medical diagnosis of cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or the final stages of dementia.
Aging people often do not require hospitalization, but still need to be treated with medications, have special dietary considerations and/or need special equipment, such as a blood sugar monitor or a walker. The geriatric nurse may do home visits, educating family members on how to care for their elderly members, work in a nursing home, senior center, rehabilitation facilities or a retirement community. They often work as part of a team that includes physicians, nursing aides, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, as well as other care providers.
What are some of the Issues Involved in Elderly Care?
According to the geriatric nurses that spoke out at the scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, there are three vital health concerns facing elderly patients nation-wide. Elderly people often do not receive proper nutrition, which can result in malnutrition, dehydration and premature death. The unique needs of hospitalized elderly people after common medical and surgical conditions place them at high risk for post-discharge recovery. Of vital concern is the under-staffing in nursing homes and hospitals and how this directly affects the elderly.
Half of all hospital admissions are for patients over the age sixty-five, but only one percent of nurses are qualified in geriatrics. According to the US census, by 2050, more than 20% of Americans will be over the age of sixty-five.
Do Geriatric Nurses Experience any Special Problems with Their Patients?
The elderly are actually some of the easiest people to attend to. Most elderly people are reluctant to complain or otherwise create disturbances, although occasionally there are instances when one resident patient will abuse the others. The elderly are uncomfortable with asking questions of their physicians, find navigating the hospital difficult and have problems explaining their medical symptoms; Jon Sugarman states, a geriatric nurse practitioner, “elderly patients may come in displaying symptoms of delirium- disoriented, unable to explain what’s going on- and it turns out to be nothing more than a urinary tract infection causing these symptoms.”
He states that while many hospitals have separate pediatric emergency departments, there are very few with a geriatric nurse practitioner in the emergency department. “This is a large, under served corner of medicine,” he stated. “With baby boomers about to turn 65 at a rate of 10,000 a day, it’s too late to do anything about it.”
As a culture, we are living longer, with greater awareness of the things that promote overall good health. We are also a culture that has found it necessary to personally attend to the special needs of our aging parents. Geriatric care can improve if we speak out for those who find it difficult to speak for themselves and remember that one-day, we will also be elderly.