Nursing Geriatrics Course

Lesson 1 • Geriatric Care Models and Frameworks

Introduces evidence-based care models including person-centred and interdisciplinary approaches. Provides the conceptual lens used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Biology of Normal Ageing

Covers physiological changes across organ systems that occur with normal ageing. Distinguishes pathological change from expected age-related decline.

Lesson 3 • Ethical and Legal Foundations

Addresses autonomy, informed consent, and decision-making capacity in older adults. Establishes the ethical reasoning skills applied in all clinical chapters.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Geriatric Assessment

Defines the purpose and scope of comprehensive geriatric assessment versus standard medical evaluation. Introduces the multidimensional framework used in all assessment sections.

Lesson 2 • Integrating Assessment into Care Plans

Synthesises multidimensional assessment data into individualised, prioritised care plans. Prepares students to translate findings into actionable nursing interventions.

Lesson 3 • Social and Environmental Assessment

Evaluates social support networks, caregiver burden, and home environment safety. Connects social determinants to clinical care planning.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive and Psychological Assessment

Applies standardised screening tools for cognition, depression, and anxiety in older adults. Differentiates normal cognitive ageing from pathological conditions.

Lesson 1 • Age-Related Pharmacokinetic Changes

Explains how absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion change with ageing. Establishes the physiological basis for altered drug responses in older adults.

Lesson 2 • Polypharmacy Assessment and Management

Defines polypharmacy, its prevalence, and systematic approaches to medication review. Applies assessment skills to identify and resolve medication-related problems.

Lesson 3 • Adverse Drug Events and Monitoring

Covers recognition, reporting, and prevention of adverse drug events in geriatric patients. Connects pharmacology knowledge to ongoing clinical monitoring responsibilities.

Lesson 1 • Urinary Incontinence and Continence Care

Classifies incontinence types and applies targeted assessment and management strategies. Addresses a syndrome with major impact on dignity and quality of life.

Lesson 2 • Falls and Mobility Impairment

Analyses multifactorial causes of falls and evidence-based prevention strategies. Directly applies functional assessment skills from Chapter 2.

Lesson 3 • Delirium: Recognition and Management

Covers pathophysiology, subtypes, and clinical features of delirium in hospitalised elders. Builds on cognitive assessment skills to enable early detection and intervention.

Lesson 4 • Malnutrition, Frailty, and Sarcopenia

Identifies nutritional deficits, frailty phenotype, and muscle loss in older adults. Links these syndromes to functional decline and care intensity.

Lesson 1 • Diabetes and Metabolic Conditions

Addresses glycaemic management, hypoglycaemia risk, and metabolic syndrome in older adults. Applies polypharmacy and functional assessment principles to diabetes care.

Lesson 2 • Respiratory and Renal Conditions

Covers COPD, pneumonia prevention, and chronic kidney disease management in older adults. Applies pharmacokinetic knowledge to drug dosing in renal impairment.

Lesson 3 • Musculoskeletal and Neurological Conditions

Manages osteoporosis, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke sequelae in older adults. Connects fall prevention and functional assessment to these specific conditions.

Lesson 4 • Multimorbidity and Care Prioritisation

Addresses the challenge of managing multiple coexisting conditions with competing care demands. Teaches goal-concordant prioritisation frameworks for complex older patients.

Lesson 1 • Substance Use in Older Adults

Identifies alcohol and medication misuse patterns unique to older adults and applies screening tools. Addresses an underrecognised issue with significant clinical consequences.

Lesson 2 • Elder Abuse and Neglect

Defines types of elder abuse, risk factors, and compulsory reporting obligations. Applies ethical and advocacy principles from Chapter 1 to protective nursing action.

Lesson 3 • Social Isolation and Loneliness

Examines the health consequences of social isolation and evidence-based nursing interventions. Extends social assessment skills to targeted psychosocial interventions.

Lesson 1 • End-of-Life Care and Bereavement

Covers recognition of the dying process, comfort measures, and family support at end of life. Prepares nurses to provide dignified, compassionate terminal care.

Lesson 2 • Pharmacological Pain Management

Covers analgesic selection, dosing, and monitoring tailored to older adult physiology. Applies high-risk medication knowledge to safe opioid and non-opioid prescribing.

Lesson 3 • Pain Assessment in Older Adults

Applies validated pain assessment tools, including those for cognitively impaired patients. Builds on cognitive assessment skills to address the unique challenges of geriatric pain.

Lesson 4 • Non-Pharmacological Pain Interventions

Introduces evidence-based non-drug strategies for pain relief in older adults. Complements pharmacological approaches to reduce medication burden.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Safe Care Transitions

Identifies high-risk transition points and evidence-based strategies to prevent adverse events. Applies medication reconciliation and assessment skills to transition safety.

Lesson 2 • Interdisciplinary Care Coordination

Defines the nurse's role in coordinating care across disciplines and settings for complex older adults. Synthesises all prior course content into collaborative, patient-centred coordination.

Lesson 3 • Care Settings Across the Geriatric Continuum

Maps the range of care settings from acute hospital to home and long-term care. Provides the structural context for all transition and coordination content.