Course Description
Nursing care of older adults: biopsychosocial, spiritual functioning, impact of developmental changes, illness, and dysfunction on health status and quality of life. Prerequisite: NUR 310, NUR 310L, NUR 320, NUR 320L, NUR 340, NUR 340L, NUR 360, NUR 360L (or their equivalent); admission to NURS major; overall minimum GPA of C (2.0) Corequisite: NUR 410L, NUR 450.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
- Analyze the impact of demographics, ageism, diversity, and health disparities on older adults and care of the aged.
- Examine one’s own attitudes, values, and expectations about aging and implications in the care of older adults.
- Explore methods to support older adults and families/caregivers to maintain everyday living, make role transitions, and transition between care environments.
- Examine the biological, psychological, social, spiritual, developmental, and cultural processes associated with aging.
- Differentiate between common health problems and geriatric syndromes that are the result of normal aging, lifestyle, environment, and pathological processes.
- Implement evidence-based strategies to reduce risk and promote quality and safety in the nursing care of older adults.
- Use leadership and advocacy skills to facilitate decision-making by older adults and their support networks for health promotion and chronic disease self-care.
Course Grading Information:
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| Assignments | 10.5% |
| Quizzes | 10.5% |
| Exam 1 | 18% |
| Exam 2 | 18% |
| Exam 3 | 18% |
| Final Comprehensive Exam | 25% |
Grading Scale:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 100-95 | A |
| 94-92 | A- |
| 91-89 | B+ |
| 88-86 | B |
| 85-83 | B- |
| 82-80 | C+ |
| 79-77 | C |
| 76-74 | C- |
| 73-71 | D+ |
| 70-68 | D |
| 67-65 | D- |
| 64 & below | F |
Attendance/Participation:
Regular class attendance is an expectation of a professional nursing student. It is fundamental to the orderly acquisition of knowledge. Students should recognize the advantages of regular class attendance, accept it as a personal responsibility, and appraise themselves of the consequences of poor attendance. Students are expected to attend each full class session and arrive on time. Faculty will record attendance for each class session. Absence or tardiness to class may forfeit the student’s ability to complete quizzes or exams with the exception of documented emergencies. All absences require notification of faculty prior to class via email. If you do not attend class, it is your responsibility to learn the missed content. Repeated absences or failure to notify the instructor may negatively impact your grade.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
Eliopoulos, C. (2026). Gerontological nursing (11th edition). Wolters Kluwer. ISBN: 978-1975242558
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.