As a gerontological nurse, you will generally complete your gerontology nursing education as nursing specialty, post-graduate certificate, or master’s degree. However, most choose to complete a geriatric nursing certificate, which can be completed through a local college or even online. In this geriatric nursing program, you’ll be required to complete a number of courses in order to fulfill your program’s requirements. Here we’ll take a look at some of the most common gerontology nursing courses that you may be required to complete:

• Gerontological Nursing: This course may in fact be a number of different courses offered in one or more semesters. It will provide you with an education in gerontology, and give you specific skills and knowledge related to the field of gerontological nursing.
• Palliative and End of Life Nursing Care: Gerontological nurses care for patients who are facing death on a regular basis, so this course will help give you the education and training you need to properly handle and care for patients in such a situation.
• Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: Aging comes along with many mental health issues, such as memory loss and depression, so this course will help you better understand the emotions and thoughts that your geriatric patients are experiencing.
• Advanced Pharmacology: Nearly all geriatric patients are on some form of medicine, so it is useful and even essential for gerontological nurses to have an excellent working knowledge of various drugs and prescriptions used by geriatric patients.
• Legal and Ethical Issues: As you interact and care for your patients, there are a number of ethical and legal implications that you must consider and take care of, so with this course you’ll learn all about these important issues.

With these gerontological nursing courses, you will be well prepared to serve the public as a geriatric nurse, and will have the skills and knowledge you need to obtain certification in geriatric nursing.