FAU, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing's Gerontology Program

committed to nurturing the wholeness of persons & environment through caring

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Offerings in the Study of & Service to the Older Adult

A wealth of opportunities for education and service to the older adult now exists at FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. The programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Blended Role Advanced Practice Gerontological Nursing - Focus in Ethnogeriatrics
The Blended Role - Advanced Practice Gerontological Nursing (BR-APGN), Master's Degree in Nursing, was initiated in 1999, in response to an identified need, i.e., adequately prepared advanced practice nurses in care of the older adult. By blending the roles of nurse practitioner (NP) and clinical nurse specialist (CNS), the graduate is prepared to seek certification as a clinical nurse specialist as well as certification and licensure as a nurse practitioner. The graduate is provided with the knowledge and experience to practice in an expanded role as nurse professionals.

In 2002, the Blended Role Master's Degree in Nursing curriculum was enhanced with a Focus in Ethnogeriatrics in response to the increasing population of culturally diverse older adults, both in Florida and across the country, and the need to prepare nurse professionals in the understanding and care of diverse client populations.

The mission of the Gerontology Certificate Program (GCP) is to provide an interdisciplinary educational opportunity to individuals working with older adults and students with an interest in aging to develop, clarify and document their expertise in the field of gerontology. The program is comprised of four core course (9 credits) and six approved elective credits. All core courses are taught on-line. Established in 1996, over 50 people have completed the program.

Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center

Programs and Services
A unique partnership of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and Boca Raton Community Hospital, the Memory and Wellness Center is grounded in the concept of caring and dedicated to addressing the complex problems of memory impairment and aging through research, education and provision of care.
Special Programs:
Half-day programs for people with mild and moderate memory impairment.
Care-for-the-Family groups focus on strategies to deal with the everyday stressors involved with caring for individuals with cognitive impairment.
In-Home Cognitive Retraining is a research study which involves a new series of interventions for individuals with mild memory problems.
Driver assessment program provides evaluations of driver safety for individuals with memory problems.

Caring for Seniors at Mae Volen Senior Center in Boca Raton, Florida, is another community outreach program of the college that shares the wealth of knowledge and experience of faculty. The program, begun in January 2001, focuses on wellness, healthy living, disease prevention, and health promotion. Dr. Kathleen Jett, faculty member of the college of nursing, is the professional staff provider at the Center. Participants in the program, on a one-to-one basis, have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Jett for blood pressure evaluation and monitoring, medication review, mental health counseling etc. In addition, regularly scheduled presentations are made to different groups within the Center on topics pertinent to the needs of older adults.

Since 2001 the College of Nursing has hosted an Annual Interdisciplinary Gerontology Conference. The overall focus of the conferences has been on various aspects of successful aging, with professionals from many different disciplines participating as both presenters and attendees. Each year the conference has attracted over 300 participants and several important vendors.

Senior Place is currently on hiatus while the College’s new home is being constructed. Please check back in early 2005 for more information.

For additional FAU offerings for Seniors, visit the Lifelong Learning Society's web site.