Geriatric Nurse Job Description Sample

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Geriatric Nurses provide healthcare services to elderly patients. Image source:

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Geriatric Nurse Job Description Sample
Geriatric nurses work specifically with elderly patients. They perform mental as well as
physical healthcare on aged patients.
As people grow older, their health may start to fail and they would need regular healthcare
and assistance. This is basically what a geriatric nurses duty is all about.
Their job description entails assisting elderly patients suffering from terminal illnesses like
cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers disease, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cataract,
cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and lots of other diseases.
If a patient is bedridden, a geriatric nurse would provide care for such a patient too. These
nurses also play the role of taking care of aged patients with mental conditions.
They could help to feed them, cloth them, administer drugs and sometimes, help with moral
support and therapy.
Geriatric nurses can work in hospitals, mental care facilities, assisted living centers, private
clinics, nursing homes and community health centers.
Some of these professionals may also own private practices which involves visiting the
homes of their patients to care for them.

They also help to give advice to the families of their patients to help them understand and
cope with illnesses.

Sample Job Description of a Geriatric Nurse

Below is a job description sample for the post of a geriatric nurse, consisting of key duties,
tasks, and responsibilities they are usually required to perform.
This can also be used in writing a good resume for seeking employment as a nurse in a
hospitals geriatric unit or and other medical centers.

Assist doctors in providing healthcare and support to elderly patients

Help to bathe bedridden patients to prevent bedsores

Understand patients medications and administer them to clients as and when due

Help to conduct regular screenings and routine check-up on patients

Help to assess the cognitive skills and mental status of their patients

Observe, understand, and manage peculiar old age health concerns like incontinence,
insomnia, loss of strength and appetite, sexual issues as well as mobility challenges

Help to educate the families and caregivers of their patients on the best ways to care
for them and keep them safe

Assist doctors with medical examinations and administer prescribed treatments

Help to maintain a chart for their patients in order to have accurate records of patients
medical history, treatment plan and progress

Help to perform prescribed tests on their patients, like blood pressure checks,
temperature, respiration, pulse and blood sugar.

Requirements Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for the

Geriatric Nurse Position
The following skills, knowledge, and abilities are typically required qualities by most
employers from applicants seeking to work as geriatric nurses in healthcare centers:

You must be interested and willing to work with elderly people

You must also understand the art of multi-tasking and effective time management

Having a genuine interest in helping other people is a skill that would also come in
handy for geriatric nurses

You must have enough strength and stamina to withstand long hours of standing while
on duty

Geriatric nurses must also be very safety conscious. A high percentage of deaths in
elderly people have been traced to avoidable falls, so a nurse working with an elderly
person must be conscious of this and monitor their patients closely to prevent such
falls

The nurse should also be physically and mentally fit

They should be good team players and be able to work with doctors and other
colleagues well

They should also have solid people relationship skills. They must be able to relate
well with patients as well as all other medical staff.

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Overviewhttp://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/151/G
eriatric_Staff_Nurse#Tab=Overview
Geriatric staff nurses focus on caring for older adults. As the U.S. population ages, this career
is in high demand. According to the U.S. Census, by 2050 more than 20% of Americans 88
million people will be over age 65. Yet less than 1% of registered nurses and 3% of
advanced practice registered nurses are certified in geriatrics, according to the American
Geriatric Society.
Geriatric nurses are educated to understand and treat the often complex physical and mental
health needs of older people. They try to help their patients protect their health and cope with
changes in their mental and physical abilities, so older people can stay independent and active
as long as possible.
Geriatric nurses must enjoy working with older people. They must be patient, listen
extremely carefully and balance the needs of their patients with sometimes conflicting
demands from family members.
When working with their patients, a geriatric nurse will:

Assess the patients mental status and cognitive (thinking) skills

Understand patients acute and chronic health issues

Discuss common health concerns, such as falls, incontinence, changing sleep patterns
and sexual issues

Organize medications

Educate the patient about personal safety and disease prevention

Explain and recommend adjustments to the patients medication regimen to ensure

adherence

Link the patient with local resources as needed

Many older people have health conditions that do not require hospitalization, but must be
treated with medication, changes in diet, use of special equipment (such as a blood sugar
monitor or walker), daily exercises or other adaptations. Geriatric nurses help design and
explain these healthcare regimens to patients and their families. They often function as case
managers, linking families with community resources to help them care for elderly
members.

Working Conditions
Geriatric nurses work in a variety of practice settings such as hospitals, nursing homes,
rehabilitation facilities, senior centers, retirement communities and patients homes. They
often work as part of a care team that includes physicians, social workers, nursing aides,
physical and occupational therapists and other caring professionals.
In hospitals, geriatric nurses tend to work with treatment teams that have large older patient
populations, such as outpatient surgery, cardiology, rehabilitation, ophthalmology,
dermatology and geriatric mental health (treating older patients with psychiatric conditions,
such as Alzheimers, anxiety and depression).
In rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, geriatric nurses manage patient care from initial
assessment through development, implementation and evaluation of the care plan. They may
also take on administrative, training and leadership roles.
Outlook and Salary Range
Because of the aging population, there is increasing demand for geriatric nurses, especially in
nursing homes and health care facilities that have a high older patient population. Bilingual
nurses, particularly those fluent in both Spanish and English, are needed. The average salary
for a geriatric nurse is $63,382, but salaries vary greatly depending on your experience,
education and where you work.

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