Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Job Description
In 1965, the American Nurses Association said that nursing should be taught in colleges, instead of in hospitals. That same year, Loretta Ford, RN, and Dr. Henry Silver established the first nurse practitioner program, with a goal to educate graduate-level students to become specialists, at the University of Colorado. Today, 150,000 Nurse Practitioners reside in the United States. At least 54 countries belong to the International Council of Nurses' advanced practice network.
Education
Becoming a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner requires first becoming a Registered Nurse. Most Advanced Practice Nursing programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission. A Bachelor in Science in Nursing degree is the recommended program. Then, the student must take the national licensing exam that the National Counseling of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. gives.
The next step towards becoming a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner is taking a two-year Advanced Practice Nursing program. With almost 100 programs to choose from, the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner student will learn pharmacology, physiology and other health issues that cover caring for the elderly. During the final months, the student will do an internship in a geriatric care environment. After graduation, she is eligible to receive her Gerontology Nursing Practitioner's license.
Career Duties
A Geriatric Nurse Practitioner understands that elderly patients have growing health issues, such as Alzheimer’s, frequent falls, because of weakened bones and a susceptibility to diseases, because of a weaker immune system. A Geriatric Nurse Practitioner assesses, diagnoses and provides treatment for those problems.
The Geriatric Nurse Practitioner takes the patient's health history, provides a complete physical examination and X-rays, prescribes medications, counsels the patient and the family about preventative care, works with doctors to plan the best treatments and arranges an exercise program for the patient.
Most Geriatric Nurse Practitioners work for general hospitals and nursing homes, but other professionals work for private doctor's offices, home health care companies and specialty clinics. The average annual salary of a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner is $75,000.