Grand Valley's Kirkhof School of Nursing was one of 20 programs in the country that received a grant to enhance its undergraduate gerontology curriculum.
GVSU received a three-year, $90,000 grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City. The foundation, with coordination by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, awarded grants totaling $3.99 million to 20 undergraduate programs and 10 master's degree programs.
Grant funds will be distributed in January. KSON Dean Phyllis Gendler said strengthening course content will better prepare nursing students to care for senior citizens. Currently, there are 25 million Americans over age 65, making older adults the fastest growing population segment in the United States.
There aren't a lot of gerontology educated nurses out there, said Gendler, who is an expert in geriatric care. The population is aging so quickly, few people are able to keep up.
Immediate plans include hiring a gerontology expert to aid KSON faculty members in adapting course content based on national education and practice standards. Gendler said eventually an advisory committee will be established; and clinical sites at agencies that provide care to senior citizens -- like hospice organizations, long-term care facilities, and assisted living facilities -- will be added.
