The future history of gerontological nursing.

Having established an academic and clinical infrastructure, geriatric nursing is well positioned to play a central role in improving the health of the nation's older adults now and in the future. Currently, whether working independently, in collaborative practice with physicians, or as members of geriatric teams, geriatric nurse practitioners and clinical specialists have been shown to improve care to older adults in the community, in hospitals, and in skilled nursing facilities. Sixty-three master's programs now prepare advanced practice geriatric nurses. Geriatric nurse researchers have contributed to our understanding of the most pressing problems that impact profoundly on the health and quality of life of older adults. Despite these advances, the number of geriatric nurse specialists remains small, with only 4200 certified specialists and a serious shortage of geriatric nursing faculty. Geriatric nursing is moving to ensure geriatric competency in all nurses who work with older adults in the future. The future should see the benefits of current efforts to infuse geriatric content into baccalaureate programs that prepare registered nurses, into master's programs that prepare adult and family nurse practitioners, and into the day-to-day practice of the nation's 2.2 million practicing registered nurses.