Chapter One Holistic Caring

Gerontological Nursing Guaranteed future in nursing New nursing specialty Certified nurses Clinical specialists Geriatric nurse practitioners

Gerontological Nursing Specific body of knowledge Signs and symptoms of illness Medication dosages Life stages

Demographics of Aging Growing old is new for our society More people are older than age 65 According to 2002 census 35.6 million older adults Constitute 12.3% of U.S. population 20.8 million women over age 65 14.8 million men over age 65

Demographics of Aging 2002 Census (cont.) Average life expectancy is 79 years for women 72.9 years for men 85+ years of age will increase from 4.6 million to 9.6 million in 2030 More older women in 85+ category 65+ age group projected to double within next 25 years

Demographics of Aging Why more older adults? Increase in number of “baby boomers” Better nutrition, sanitation, and overall living conditions Lower infant mortality rates Effective medical management of acute and chronic illness

Demographics of Aging Older adults today Have more education Have more financial resources Have fewer children to provide care Less than 5% are living in long-term care facilities or assisted living 95% living in community with aging spouse, family members, or alone

Nursing Philosophy What is your nursing philosophy? Need to develop own philosophy Simple Specific Has meaning to you

Holistic Nursing Holism or wholism means “whole” or “to heal” Holistic care refers to care of the body, mind, socialization, and spirit of the person Focuses on persons’ whole being rather than just specific parts

Holistic Nursing Weaves technical skills with social science skills Nurse takes active role in developing a healing relationship with the patient Listening is a crucial activity for promoting holistic care

Holistic Nursing Encourages participation of patient in his or her care Teamwork is important Nurse identifies potential team members Team members may include Family members or other significant others Various health-care providers

Human Caring Jean Watson Science of Human Caring Importance of developing personalized care Foundation of caring View all humans as valued people Place an emphasis on the human relationship Focus on the human-to-human relationship

Gerotranscendence Critical task of old age Involves transition to less concern for material possessions, meaningless relationships, and self-interest Older adults desire a life with more connections to other people