The world’s population is ageing quickly, and nurses skilled in caring for older people are in high demand. Gerontological nursing is a rewarding, growing specialty.
Imagine helping an 88-year-old woman with dementia go home safely after a fall, by sorting her medicines, organising support and teaching her family. That is gerontological nursing.
Why demand is growing
The World Health Organization projects that by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be aged 60 or over. Older people often live with several conditions at once, which needs skilled nursing.
What gerontological nurses do
- Assess frailty, falls risk, nutrition and cognition
- Manage complex medicines and reduce harmful polypharmacy
- Care for people with dementia and delirium
- Support end-of-life and palliative care
- Work with families and carers on care planning
Where they work
- Hospital older people’s wards
- Care homes and nursing homes
- Community and home care
- Memory clinics
- Rehabilitation units
Qualifications
- Postgraduate courses in older people’s care or dementia
- In the US, the ANCC Gerontological Nursing certification (GERO-BC)
- Advanced practice roles such as adult-gerontology nurse practitioner
Frequently asked questions
Is it less skilled than acute nursing?
No. Older people often have complex, overlapping conditions that need advanced assessment skills.
But isn’t it just basic care?
Good care for older people requires expert judgement about frailty, medicines, cognition and ethics.
Your next step: Ask to shadow an older people’s specialist nurse or a dementia nurse for a day.
Sources: World Health Organization ageing and health fact sheet, American Nurses Credentialing Center, British Geriatrics Society.
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