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STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Theoretical part (50%)
- Individual written assignment (20%) with special features which is presented by the student to his/her fellow students.
- Written final exam (Θ) (80%), held by the Department, which includes:
- Multiple choice test
- Open ended questions with brief answers
- Comparative analysis of theoretical issues
- Brief case study
- Open ended questions
Laboratory (50%)
- Student activities in clinical placement
- Filling in the clinical guide book
- Group work in a case study.
All students have access to the written exam papers and the corrected assignments at the professor’s office.
In the first lesson the students are informed in writing about the weekly course schedule which is also posted on the course’s e-class e-platform. They are also informed verbally and in writing about the way they are evaluated.
Students are taught during the lessons about the basic and specialized issues of the course that they should be aware of and the corresponding questions and exercises are evaluated. Analytically, at the beginning of the semester, an assignment with specific characteristics is assigned to each student individually, which the student presents to his fellow students. They may also complete aassignments in groups.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course is the main introductory course in the concept of Caring for the Elderly.
The course material aims to introduce students to the basic concepts of Nursing Care for the Elderly. It also refers to the basic concepts: in Nursing Gerontology and the Principles of Gerontological Nursing, in the Historical Perspective of the study of aging, in general in the theories of aging and in the changes in the systems of the human body during aging. Nursing interventions in acute and chronic conditions of the elderly. Strategies to avoid accidents in the elderly and their consequences due to aging. Special medical conditions of the elderly and nursing interventions. Cultural differences in the care of the elderly. Psychosocial problems of the elderly and nursing interventions.
The aim of the course is to enable students to provide comprehensive and personalized nursing care to the elderly and their families, by applying the principles of Nursing care for the elderly.
- Upon successful completion of the course (Theory+ Laboratory) the student is able to:
- Know the physiological changes observed with age.
- Evaluate the health status of the elderly.
- Organize, direct and implement guidelines on care for the elderly.
- Provide comprehensive and personalized nursing care to the elderly and their families, applying the principles of nursing care for the elderly.
- Adapt to new situations of technology and know-how for the nursing care of the elderly.
- Be aware, but also uses the institutions and services available for the care of the elderly.
- Make decisions for the selection of the most appropriate method of nursing care for the elderly.
- Design and manage autonomously nursing care management programs for the elderly.
- Work independently in situations related to home care for the elderly.
- Work in an interdisciplinary team in integrated elderly care management programs.
GENERAL COMPETENCES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Search, analyze and synthesize data and information, using the necessary technologies for the nursing care of the elderly.
- Adapt to new care situations for the elderly.
- Make decisions for the nursing care of the elderly.
- Autonomously work in the nursing care of the elderly.
- Work in a team in the nursing care of the elderly.
- Work in an international environment related to the nursing care of the elderly.
- Work in an interdisciplinary environment regarding the care of the elderly.
- Develop new research ideas for the promotion of nursing care for the elderly.
- Show respect for the diversity and multiculturalism of the elderly and
- Design and carry out projects for the care of the elderly.
- Promote free, creative and inductive thinking for the nursing care of the elderly.
Course Outline
SYLLABUS
THEORY
- Health status of the Greek population. Demographic data of the Greek population. Demographic aging.
- Aging and the elderly. Overall assessment of old age. Theories of Aging. The philosophy of Gerontological Nursing.
- Characteristics of aging. Expected Age-Related Changes. Biological, psychological, functional, social changes and losses.
- Health assessment of the elderly. Assessment of the nursing needs of the elderly. Nurse’s role in taking nursing history and in physical examination. Sensory and psychosocial assessment of the elderly.
- Problems in older age. Nosology of the elderly. Most common diseases of the elderly. The role of the nurse in the management of the diseases.
- Maintaining fluid balance and meeting nutrition needs. Issues of usual activity. Activity and exercise. Nutrition and aging. Factors Affecting Nutrition in the Elderly. Social and cultural aspects regarding diet issues. Malnutrition and elderly. Normal activity patterns. Activity and Aging. Exercise recommendations for the elderly. Effects of disease processes on activity. Nursing processes for elderly with reduced physical activity.
- Communicating with the elderly. Acceptance, dignity and respect in communication. Barriers to communication. Cultural differences. Skills and techniques. Communication with visitors and families. Communicating with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary team. Patient Teaching.
- Conservation of health and perceptions of home nursing care. Recommended health practices for the elderly. Factors that affect health promotion and education. Cultural Beliefs. Nursing processes for Sleep Disorders. Types of home care services.
- Psychosocial care of the elderly. Cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. Alzheimer’s disease. Depression in the elderly. Nursing process for body image disorder; low self-esteem; fear; anxiety; despair; weakness; social isolation; reduced social contact and disturbed family relationships. Violence. Stress and its management. Stress and disease. Stress and life events. Stress reduction and management strategies. Factors that affect the sexuality of the elderly. Privacy and personal rights of the elderly.
- Meeting safety needs of the elderly. Accidents. Internal risk factors. Falls and fractures of the elderly. External risk factors. Fire hazards. Home Security. Car accidents. Thermal hazards. Nursing processes for the risk of injury. Strategies to avoid accidents in the elderly.
- Medication and the elderly. Use and abuse of medicines. Medication administration at the hospital, at home and in an institutional setting. Nursing assessment, medication, training and patient care for self-care. Nursing interventions related to medication administration. Teaching the elderly about medications. Co-operation in co-ordination of actions for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of the elderly (e.g. vaccinations).
- Education and Research in Gerontological Nursing.
- End of life Care. Attitudes Toward Death and End-of-Life Planning. Collaborative Assessment and Interventions for End-of-Life Care. Death. Loss because of death.
LABORATORY
The laboratory part includes clinical placement of the students in Nursing homes, Open care centers for the elderly, Day Care centers for the elderly, Day care units for the elderly, Friendship clubs, and Home care services for the clinical application of the theoretical course elements. In particular, students practice in taking a gerontological nursing history, vital signs measurement, wounds and ulcers care, measurement of somatometric features, taking a psychocognitive nursing history etc. Education of the elderly in personal hygiene, diet, clothing, communication and other health care procedures.