There’s a new Certificate in Aging Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. How could it benefit nursing students?
“Having an area of expertise, especially one geared towards a huge need in healthcare, is an asset to students as they’re moving into the workforce,” says Sarah Endicott, DNP, RN, APNP, PMHNP-BC, GNP-BC.
“If students want to go into ICU, ambulatory care, med-surg, specialty care, or the OR, the majority of the patients they’re going to be taking care of are older adults,” says Endicott. “Geriatrics expertise is not just for nurses who are working in long term care. It’s needed across healthcare settings.”
Endicott, a Clinical Professor at the UW–Madison School of Nursing, teaches in the undergraduate and Doctor of Nursing Practice graduate programs. She’s enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate, which was launched this fall by the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.
“Nurses are trained as generalists in most undergraduate programs,” Endicott says. “This is an opportunity to gain expertise. To be able to say, ‘Yes, I’m a registered nurse, but in addition to that, I have this certificate in geriatrics.’ Being able to meet the needs of our aging population is critical. And there’s a huge variety of roles in geriatric nursing.”
Jaime Goldberg, PhD, LCSW, agrees. She’s a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and chairs the certificate program.
“Students in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, OT, PT, speech and language pathology, genetic counseling, nutritional science—anything under the health umbrella—this could be beneficial for them,” Goldberg says.
“We have a ton of older adults who need services. They’re going to need care,” says Goldberg. “Why not train our students across disciplines to provide that care?”
To earn the Certificate in Aging Studies, students complete 12 credits of coursework, spread across core classes; policy and systems courses; and in-depth studies from fields spanning Anthropology to Economics to Nutritional Sciences. Students can choose from nearly 30 courses.
“We really tried to include courses that focused on aging, and not just classes that had perhaps a week on aging,” Goldberg says.
Three School of Nursing courses count towards the certificate: Health Care Systems: Interdisciplinary Approach (N105), Nursing Care of the Older Adult (N433), and Community Supports for People with Dementia (N511).
Endicott co-teaches N433 and teaches N511, a community-based learning class. In addition to the usual classroom discussions, readings, and assignments, students in N511 volunteer with a local organization for at least 25 hours during the semester.
“Students volunteer with people living with dementia and their care partners,” says Endicott. “They see that those folks are our neighbors, friends, and family members. Working directly with people in the community changes students’ ideas about geriatrics, specifically dementia care. I have a lot of students say they thought that everything about dementia was sad and scary. And then they do an art project with older adults, play ping pong with them, learn about their life experiences. I could never teach that in a classroom. The only way you can get that level of understanding is by being out in the community.”
Community experiences help break down negative stereotypes about aging and older adults.
“When students get to know older adults in different settings, it opens their eyes to the different experiences of aging and how older adults navigate the healthcare system,” Endicott says. “Unfortunately, ageism is still rampant in our culture. And we know that ageism has detrimental health effects. Gaining insight into older adults’ lived experiences goes a long way towards countering ageist beliefs.”
Goldberg has also seen how community-based learning supports deeper understanding. She teaches Social Issues and Aging (Social Work 422), a community-based learning class that counts towards the certificate.
“Students talked about going in with preconceived notions, myths, and stereotypes about older adults that were squashed when they interacted with the older adults that they were volunteering with,” says Goldberg.
“Many of them said, ‘You know, this helps me to understand my grandparents better and what they’re going through. This helps me to have more self-awareness and patience and empathy when I’m in a grocery store, and somebody in front of me in line is taking too long to count out their change.’”
The learning outcomes for the Certificate in Aging Studies include understanding the interdisciplinary nature of aging and evaluating how biological, psychological, and social factors influence the health and well-being of older people, as well as those who work with and care for them.
“There are a lot of things that are really difficult about working in healthcare, but I never leave a clinical encounter with an older adult without feeling like I made a difference,” Endicott says. “There’s a lot of complexity, a lot of gray areas in working with older adults. That’s an opportunity to provide really individualized care.”
–Diane Farsetta; with thanks to Jason Lee for the interview with Dr. Jaime Goldberg