Unit rationale, description and aim
The pathophysiological and psychosocial changes that occur during the ageing process contributes to the older person's vulnerability, and predisposes them to various risk factors and chronic health diseases that require complex, person-centred care. In order to be effective healthcare practitioners, nurses working in gerontological settings must have a range of knowledge and skills to successfully care for older persons with acute and complex care needs. Gerontological nurses must apply their understanding of scientific knowledge to inform risk assessment, clinical decision-making and implementation of risk mitigation strategies to ensure the delivery of quality and safe person-centred care to older persons.
This unit is required by students because older persons require a multi-faceted approach to care. Older persons are frail, prone to harm and require timely identification and escalation of deterioration. It is critical that gerontological nurses are equipped with the specialist knowledge and skills to effectively care for older persons through the application of evidence based, ethical practice. Selection of content is based on the complexity of care required by older persons and the recent advances in gerontology and gerontological nursing. Key concepts of health and wellness, aged related health conditions, pain, pharmacotherapy and comprehensive risk assessment of older persons will be explored to assist students with skills in analysis, evaluation, and application of person-centred care in the gerontological setting.
The aim of this unit is to support students to evaluate the complexity of older person care while developing knowledge and skills to critically appraise and evaluate evidence to ensure older persons are cared for in a way that is respectful and promotes health and wellbeing.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Assess the ageing process, whilst critically refle...
Learning Outcome 01
Evaluate the psychosocial factors that contribute ...
Learning Outcome 02
Examine the risk factors for older persons and app...
Learning Outcome 03
Appraise the relationship between age related chan...
Learning Outcome 04
Analyse the complexity of person-centred and cultu...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
- Topics will include:
Health and Wellness
- Understanding the ageing process
- Attitudes
- Perspectives
- Physiological changes in older persons
- Physical changes
- Psychosocial changes
- Socioeconomic changes
Healthy Ageing
- Theoretical underpinnings – Psychosocial theories of ageing
- WHO ‘Active Ageing Framework’
- 6 domains – social, economic, civic, cultural, spiritual and physical
- Successful ageing - Promotion of activity & active participation in society
- Determinants of ageing
- Psychosocial factors of ageing
Age related health conditions
- Systems
- Skin
- Sensory, neurologic and musculoskeletal alterations
- Trauma
- Generational
- Cultural
- Person-centred care for aged populations
Dementia, Delirium and Depression
- Epidemiology of Dementia
- Risk factors
- Assessment and Screening
Risk Assessment of Older Persons
- Risks to older persons
- Falls
- Malnutrition
- Pressure injuries
- Infection
Pharmacology
- Physiological changes
- Pharmacodynamics in older persons
- Polypharmacy
Pain
- Nociceptive
- Neuropathic
- Psychological
- Pain in Dementia
Pain management in older persons
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to successfully complete this unit, a minimum combined total grade of all assessment tasks of 50% is required to pass this unit.
The assessment strategy used in this unit encourages depth of learning and provides the students the opportunity to develop their capacity to interpret, translate, apply and evaluate evidence-based care provision in gerontological settings. In order to develop gerontological nursing knowledge and skills required to achieve the learning outcomes and Graduate Attributes, students first demonstrate the ability to undertake a literature review on a common risk that results from age-related physiological changes in older persons. Knowledge and skills gained in this assessment task are then further developed in the final assessment where students apply learned knowledge and skills to demonstrate critical thinking skills, analysis and synthesis of evidence in relation to strategies used to promote health and wellbeing in older persons in gerontological specialty settings. To pass NRSG528 Gerontological Nursing: Promoting Health and Wellness in Older Persons students must demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit.
Overview of assessments
Literature Review Enables students to demonstrat...
Literature Review
Enables students to demonstrate an ability to research evidence related to a common risk that results from age-related physiological changes in older persons in the gerontological setting.
50%
Essay Enables students to apply learned knowledg...
Essay
Enables students to apply learned knowledge and demonstrate critical thinking skills, analysis and synthesis of evidence in relation to strategies used to promote health and wellbeing in older persons in the gerontological setting.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered in online mode and uses an active and collaborative learning approach to support students to analyse and critically evaluate approaches to providing evidence-based, ethical nursing care within a gerontological nursing setting. Students will engage in readings and reflections, e-Learning activities and opportunities to collaborate with peers in an online environment. This can involve, but is not limited to, online discussion forums, chat rooms, guided reading and webinar sessions. In addition, e-Learning and links to electronic readings will be provided to guide students’ reading and extend other aspects of online learning.
Through an online learning platform, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the complexity of delivering person-centred care to older persons in gerontological settings. Online learning in this unit will be supported by the provision of opportunities for students to attend online webinar sessions that allow synchronous exchange of information and facilitate responses to queries generated by students in relation to unit content. For those unable to participate in synchronous webinar sessions, recordings will be available.
Students are required to complete online activities and assessments to demonstrate the application of knowledge. The learning and teaching strategy used in this unit allows flexibility for students while ensuring they have expert support. These modes of delivery assist students in linking knowledge and skills to the gerontological nursing context, and to develop shared meanings through online experiential reflections and discussions.