Older adult care in nursing education: How have curricula been developed?

Given the rapidly growing older adult population, future nurses should increase their knowledge and skills in gerontological nursing to deliver high-quality care to older adults. The aim of this national survey (n = 40 nursing schools) was to analyse the status of gerontology education in Portuguese baccalaureate nursing programmes. Data were collected using a 51-item questionnaire about baccalaureate nursing education programmes and gerontology-related topics. Descriptive analysis was used. A total of 18 nursing schools returned the questionnaire (response rate = 45%). Results showed that 66.7% (n = 12) of nursing schools integrated gerontology content into several courses, 38.9% (n = 7) of them had stand-alone courses, and 11.1% (n = 2) of them had both options. The most significant factor inhibiting the development of the gerontological nursing curriculum was the negative image of gerontological nursing (44.4%). Gerontological-related competencies were identified in only two nursing programmes. Thirteen schools reported needing help to strengthen the gerontological content in the nursing curriculum. This study has demonstrated that gerontological content is covered in the nursing curriculum of all nursing schools. The increase of knowledge and skills in gerontological nursing and the development of a standard gerontological curriculum could contribute to enhancing gerontological nursing education and practice.