How to Become a Geriatric Nurse: A Detailed Guide to Geriatric Care

Wondering what it takes to join the ranks of geriatric nurses? The rise in the elderly population means these nurses will be in increasingly high demand in the next decade and beyond. Nurses who specialize in gerontology can work in direct patient care or in non-traditional roles, such as geriatric care managers. Understanding the needs of older adults and geriatric medicine could be of real importance as the world's population shifts and the issue impacts more people.

Defining the Specialty: What Is a Geriatric Nurse?

Geriatric nurses care for the elderly population. Although they may address diseases and injuries, professionals who work in this specialty also work with healthy patients who are experiencing the normal deterioration that can come with aging. Geriatrics is an area of medicine that centers on the medical needs of the older population, and it can also overlap with gerontology, which is the wider study of aging.

The Difference Between Elderly and Geriatric

It is important to understand the terminology used in this field. Elderly is an age descriptor used to refer to older adults, generally for people over the age of 65, although definitions can vary. The difference between elderly and geriatric is that geriatrics is the area of medicine that supports those who could be considered elderly, while “elderly” is a description of an age group. Consequently, “geriatric” is more likely to be used in medical settings and research, while elderly is more commonly used to describe someone’s age or to group older individuals based on their age.

Roles and Responsibilities

When you decide on a geriatric nursing career path, it’s good to know what will be expected of you on a daily basis. Some geriatric nurse responsibilities include:

• Reality orientation
• Emotional support
• Medication administration
• Fall risk assessments
• Mental status assessments

Geriatric nurses work in facilities that specialize in caring for the elderly, such as nursing homes, post-acute care facilities, geri-psych units, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities.

How to Become a Geriatric Nurse: 4 Steps

There are core milestones every nurse must complete no matter the specific route you take to this nursing role. Let’s take a look at some of the most important steps.

Step 1: Complete Nursing School

Every RN specialty starts with completing either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. You’ll complete didactic courses, including microbiology, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and nursing fundamentals. Nursing school is known for being challenging, but with good study habits and dedication, you’ll graduate with the basic skills and knowledge to practice nursing in a variety of settings.

Step 2: Pass the NCLEX

The National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is the last milestone you’ll need to complete to become an RN. The NCLEX will likely cover questions on the care of older adults, but you’ll also be tested on other nursing essentials, including safety and infection control, pharmacology, health promotion, and care management.

Step 3: Gain Experience

Geriatrics is an area where nurses are needed, so you’ll likely be able to begin your career in a geriatric care area if that’s where you want to be. Geriatric nurses don’t necessarily go by that title, so you can search for roles in specialties such as long-term care, home health, hospice nursing, rehabilitation, memory care, and recuperative care.

Step 4: Get Your Geriatric Nurse Certification

Certification shows your dedication to a population and their needs. Earning a certification is not required to practice, but it can help increase your confidence, earning potential, and career prospects. The ANCC offers the leading credential in this specialty: Gerontology Certification (GERO-BC). It is awarded via a competency-based exam that verifies you have the advanced skills and knowledge of this specialty.

To take the exam, applicants must also have 30 hours of continuing education unique to this specialty within the past 3 years. Geriatric nurse certification programs are available to help you review content and complete CE requirements.