Due to changing demographics, it is increasingly necessary for professional nurses to acquire competency in the care of older adults. The specialty of gerontological nursing is caught among health care directives, physician assisted suicide, the position of older adults in society, practice setting challenges (i.e., staffing requirements, workload, blend of staff skill levels), various interests in curricula revisions, and career development. The specialty developed relatively recently in practice and even more recently in education, and as such often lacks the structural and institutional support needed for it to flourish.Described in this poster, through a descriptive case study, is a curriculum re-design initiative undertaken by a University’s Faculty of Nursing (Alberta, Canada). The Faculty restructured its undergraduate nursing curriculum to integrate aging content and related clinical experiences throughout its four year program. It was cognizant of the mandate, through legislation, to educate a generalist nurse at the undergraduate level of nursing education. At the same time, it asked how do we best provide aging content to our undergraduate students?The purpose of this case study is to further understanding of an integrative approach to facilitate learning opportunities for undergraduate nursing students. A description of the work done by the Faculty in moving the integration of aging content from the spark of an idea to reality is provided. The benefits for students are described through feedback from them and from faculty members. Recommendations for continued enhancement of the program, specific to aging content, are included.
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