Overview

Our country’s rising senior population has created a demand for advanced practice nurses who have expertise in caring for older adults. Gerontological nurse practitioners are educated to understand the special health care needs of senior men and women and play an integral role in their wellness and restorative care. The services they provide include health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosing and treating common illnesses and injuries, overseeing medications, acute intervention, and case management. They work independently and in collaboration with other health care professionals.

Gerontological nurse practitioners are becoming increasingly visible in today’s health care system, particularly in primary care, long-term, and acute care settings. They hold positions in physician practices, health maintenance organizations, house call services, nursing home practices, home care agencies, nurse practitioner offices, assisted living facilities, and long-term and acute care hospitals.