Gerontology is the study of aging and older adults, looking at the physical, mental, and social changes humans undergo as they age.

A goal of a gerontology nurse is to provide the highest-quality care to older adults. Some nurses only work with older adults, however, the majority of nurses will be working with patients of all ages. A core element of providing nursing care to geriatric patients is helping a patient maintain or regain independence, working with the patient to meet their individual goals and quality of life. Additionally, gerontological nurses often focus on preventive care. Nurses will work with patients to establish the healthiest life possible for each patient and keep them safe from potential injuries and worsening medical conditions.
Daily responsibilities may include: optimizing mobility, providing a safe environement for mobility, administering medications, coordinating patient care, wound care, screening for potential safety or medical concerns, and advocating for patient needs.

Good news, we are living longer! This means that we have more patients who fall in the geriatric category, and those adults have different needs than younger adults because their bodies are different. Just like we have specialties for babies and children, we have gerontology that focuses on the body of an aging adult.

Gerontology and geriatrics are closely related terms, but they are not the same.
While gerontology is the study of the changes that occur in humans as they naturally age, geriatrics is the branch of medicine focused on the medical care of the elderly and the treatment of age-related conditions.

Nurses can work with older patients in a variety of practice settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, senior centers, retirement communities and patients’ homes. Basically, any place you work as a nurse that provides care to adults, will automatically make you at least in part a gerontology nurse!

Lecturio’s Gerontology Nursing course walks you through all important topics in gerontology and prepares you for your exams with high-yield learning videos, exam-style quiz questions and concise cheat sheets. The course highlights the protection, promotion, restoration, and optimization of health and functions in the geriatric population and ways to treat physical, mental, emotional, and social problems your older patients may encounter.
Answering the NCLEX®-style questions prepares you to ace your exams from the start.