The History and Career Outlooks of Geriatric Nursing Essay

As the general population continues to age and grow, the nursing workforce is aging alongside. Approximately half of the current nursing workforce is apart of the baby boomer generation (Mion). RNs are eligible to retire at age 55, which will affect the majority of “baby boomer” nurses between 2005 and 2010 (Mion). According to the Nursing Management Aging Workforce Survey in 2006, “55% of surveyed nurses reported their intention to retire between 2011 and 2020” (Nursing Shortage). The demand for skilled nurses is growing at an exponential rate. According to information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the supply of nurses has been

In a report posted in AARP titled “Leading Change, Advancing Health,” the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine outlined ways that nurses are solving many challenges in health care and hold a key role in accessing health care for many patients and play a significant role in transforming the future of health care (AARP, 2012). The Nurse Practitioner is a Registered Nurse who have received their master’s degree or PhD in nursing and completed a course to a specialized medical field and is capable of providing patient care and writing prescriptions (AARP, 2012). With the boom in the aging population the nurse practitioner has a key role for adults over 50, the need for medical care will increase and the wait to see a doctor will also increase. The Nurse Practitioners Role in patient care will help provide continuity of care with chronic patients. In an article post on AARP website entitled “The Doctor Can’t See You Now-But the Nurse Can” states the importance of nurses in field of advance practice. In poor and underserved rural and urban areas, nurse practitioners represent the only health care available. Nurse practitioners play a vital role in the health of adults over 50 not

In searching for resources for this assignment, most of the articles written have at least one thing in common. The baby boomers are getting older, as a result, they will represent 20% of the total population from now until 2030. The number of persons who are 65 years and older is 12% of the population, the life expectancy of 77.9 years has caused this increase. The older people over age 85 is at about 40%, and the number of centenarians is on the rise (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Longer life expectancies will intensify the demand for competent geriatric nursing care to reduce the years in which function and health are impaired. It is exciting to see that quality geriatric nursing education

While the US has more nurses and physicians than ever before, upcoming retirements and a dysfunctional workplace are creating clinical shortages that can become more severe than the industry can bear (Woods, D. 2009). According to research, half of all nurses working today were born during the baby-boomer years. Therefore, the workforce is aging at a rapid rate. As such, in efforts to prevent a mass exodus from the profession, healthcare organizations leaders are exploring innovative ways to keep experienced nurses (Larson, J, 2009). The average age of registered nurses has risen from 41 in 2002 to 48 in 2006(Bolton-Burnes L. 2007). Even more troubling, in 2006, 45% of hospital-employed RNs

Being a nurse means that there are multiple responsibilities to juggle, working with both young and old people, with numerous priorities ranging from counselling and teaching to giving medication.

Nursing is constantly evolving and adapting to the current population, and with the elderly population increasing exponentially, nurses are inevitably affected by these changes. The baby boomers are getting older, changing healthcare as they go. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who are ages 65 and older are expected to increase 17% by 2020. By the recent demographics shift, nursing practice is affected as there becomes a greater need for nurses to be able to guide those who suffer with multiple chronic conditions, specialize in geriatrics, and also care for the mental health of the elderly.

The nursing shortage is an accumulation of multiple factors. The four primary contributions to the shortage include the aging registered nurse workforce, declining nursing school enrollments, the changing work climate, and the poor image of nursing (Love et al., 2006, p. 558). When it comes to the aging workforce, approximately one-third of the nursing workforce was over 50 years of age in 2000 and that fraction has increased to two-fifths in 2014 (Nevidjon and Erickson, 2001). Over half of registered nurses intend to retire between 2011 and 2020

Another contributing factor to the severity of the shortage is that the nursing field is plagued by an aging population. In 2010 the US Census Bureau revealed that 40.3 million people or 13% are 65 years of age or older. This large portion of this population are classified as Baby Boomers and they are either reaching this age group or have already joined this age range. The oldest portion of the Baby Boomers began to retire in 2008. Geraldine Bednash is quoted saying “The long term trend of declining interest in the nursing field is one of there a major causes for the aging staff” (Benjamin, 2000, p. 1).

According to an article submitted by Rosenfeld, 2009, the growing trends of an aging population require the need for more nursing services. In addition, there are insufficient numbers of facilities to train new nurses (Rosenfeld, 2009). The above issues pertaining to nursing shortages have created what is called a “nursing crisis” which have caused and will continue to cause dramatic shortages on a national basis.

nurses are certified or specialized in geriatric care. As more Americans are living longer they are

By 2010, unless many more young people become nurses, about 40 percent of the nursing work force will be over age 50, according to the General Accounting Office (“Nursing Workforce”, 2001).

The growing number of the elderly patient has a direct impact on nursing practice. The issue of” baby boomers” having an increased life expectancy may have jobs security for the nurses in future as evidenced by multiple improvements in cardiac surgery in older population. The aging of the baby boomers is expected to produce a plethora of new nursing jobs, which could lead to higher wages, greater job security, and greater variety in types of work (Page, 2015).

I was always undecided regarding the career that I wanted to pursue. As I got older and looked at many choices in careers I realized that I wanted to have a career in the medical field. Being a nurse interests me because it requires the study of the human body along with other great opportunities that nurses have in this career. I want to become a nurse because I like being able to help those who are in need.

I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. I spent four years as a student-athlete at the institution where I quickly learned self-discipline, time management and leadership skills. After completing my BSN degree, I began my career as a nurse in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at

Visiting a nursing care facility while learning about gerontology they go hand and hand. While learning about aging the best way to fully understand the information is to make observations. There are numerous connections that can be made from observations and the class readings. Throughout this course, there have been many chapters in Social Gerontology that provide a lot of information to understand aging.