Program Overview

Clinical and theory courses in Penn's Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program focus on key development issues for older adults, health promotion and illness prevention, quality of life issues that emphasize older adults’ dignity, function, and relationship to themselves, others, and how they interract with their environment. Students are taught to use an interdisciplinary approach to identifying the health issues of older adults with an understanding that the needs of the person need to be identified and addressed across family, cultural and environmental factors. Specific clinical content explores health issues facing older adults such as dementia, nutrition, skin care, incontinence, functional independence, and quality of life, among others.

For more than 25 years, Penn's alumni have led the field in producing new models for educational programs, research, and clinical practice in the U.S. and internationally. New knowledge in gerontologic nursing science led by Penn School of Nursing researchers have changed practice in such areas as restraint-free care, improving function status, reduction in injuries, response to patient behaviors, and palliative care.