The Southern University School of Nursing will be the firstto train nurses to care for the elderly.
The school has gained approval from the state Board ofRegents to add a specialty in gerontology to their existing master’s degreeprogram in nursing.
“We know that there is a major need for the state ofLouisiana, so the need of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners is a major issuein this state,” said Dr. Janet Rami, dean of the School of Nursing. SouthernUniversity produces the largest number of trained minority professional nursesin the region.
The Advanced Practice Gerontological Nursing program seeksto educate clinicians and leaders in the field of gerontological nursing.
“Southern University has been given an opportunity, as wellas a charge to prepare future professional nurses to specialize in this area ofcare working with the elderly population,” said Dr. Wanda Spurlock, assistantprofessor for graduate nursing programs.
The program was developed to give experts experience witholder adult patients across a variety of settings and clinical complexity dueto the yearly increase of people who will be age 60 or older.
“This is an area that is really important,” Spurlock said.”We know that within the United States the elderly population is thatpopulation that’s growing the most rapidly and at this point (in) the state, aswell as the nation, it’s really in a crisis due to the shortage ofnurses.”
There is an aging population and notable nursingshortage. Health care providers are becoming increasingly aware of theneed for more registered nurses that have training with elderly people.
There is a need for more registered nurses to have graduatepreparation in nursing as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner or a ClinicalNurse Specialists in Gerontological Nursing.
The gerontology program will enroll approximately tenstudents beginning in fall 2005. Highly qualified professors includingDr. Ola Fox, one of only 38 nationally certified gerontology nursepractitioners in the Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana area, will teach the coursesat Southern University.
“This program will provide an educated workforce to servethe health and illness needs of the increasing numbers of elderly people,” saidDr. Cheryl Taylor, interim chairwoman of the Southern graduate nursing program.
The program is two years for enrolled master’s students andtwo semesters for Family Nurse Practitioners seeking post certification. Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepared students will meet similar requirementsof 30-46 semester credit hours and 512 clinical practicum hours depending onthe selected role.
A post-masters certificate option is available for nurseswho already hold a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited school.
”While we may not be the only gerontology program inthe state, Southern University School of Nursing is a trailblazer foraddressing health disparities and health professional shortages and has theonly PhD in nursing program in Louisiana,” Taylor said.
For additional information about the Advanced PracticeGerontological Nursing Program, please contact the Specialty Coordinators: Dr.Ola Fox at 771.3403 or Dr. Wanda Spurlock at (225) 771-3404 at SouthernUniversity and A&M College Graduate Nursing Programs.
