Creation of an Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program – Lessons Learned

In concordance with the APRN Regulatory Model, nurse practitioner education must be responsive to preparing students with a broad based education and within one of the four population foci (Consensus, 2008). In 2004, the two tracks of Adult Nurse Practitioner and Gerontology Nurse Practitioner merged successfully to create a 48-credit course of study. The title of the new track was named Adult/Gerontology. The change in the program met our University mission of provide current and relevant curriculum. These two areas of study, Adult and Gerontology had many similarities the major beginning the age of the clientele in our society. Students from each track were required take two more courses, which increases the total number of credits but did not increase the length of the program. The practical clinical experiences are defined across the spectrum required for both tracks. Each track was analyzed for gaps in the curriculum. The Adult track broadly covered specific issues seen in geriatric patients, while the Gerontology track did not have any younger adult content. Additionally, the Gerontology track did not include gender health issues. This led to inclusion of the geriatric assessment, older adult primary care issues, and gender health into the new curriculum flow. An increased emphasis towards the adolescent was also included. The course of study increased the total credit hours due to additional didactic classes. However, the clinical time remained the same as previous, but with increased emphasis on the variety of experiences across the span from adolescents to geriatric patients. The students who are in the track are vested in the care of the elderly, but also like the marketability, they have with the dual education. Currently, most take the Adult Nurse Practitioner certification initially and later a few take the Gerontology certification. The number of students remains small; however, some growth in student numbers has been observed. As the elderly population continues to grow and live longer, the importance of capable Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioners cannot be under appreciated or emphasized. Wilmington University is committed to providing a program of excellence to educate these individuals.