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Working As A Geriatric Nurse Practitioner MD

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By Deborah Patterson


Studies have shown that the general population continues to age at a rapid pace. The number of elderly people in society far outnumber people under the age of 18 as well as individuals between the ages of 19 to 55. With this segment of the population growing by huge numbers each day, it is little wonder that there is such a huge need for healthcare workers dedicated to the elderly. By studying to become a geriatric nurse practitioner MD students like you could enjoy a rewarding and lucrative lifelong career.

As you embark on your educational journey, it can be challenging to remember you will even have patients assigned to you at some point in the future. However, your undergraduate studies will remind you of this fact as you study subjects that will range from mathematics to psychology. These classes will give you an introduction into the topics and lessons you are expected to know once you formally embark on this career path.

Once you finish your undergraduate program, you will most likely be required to take a post-graduate degree program at a master's level. Your courses will involve more one-on-one encounters with the elderly. You likewise will be expected to take advanced lessons in organic chemistry since you most likely will have to prescribe or at least know what types of medications your patients will take.

The advanced portion of the studies will typically also include doing number rounds of clinical experiences in actual medical settings at a hospital, nursing home, or someplace else that dedicates itself to the caring of the aging. Your advisers will put you in those settings to give you real life experiences working with people in this age demographic. You will know what to do once you graduate from your program.

Depending on what state you live or plan to work in, you likewise might need to be certified or licensed. The licensing or certification process shows you have the necessary training and hands on experience required to be trustworthy and safe. Your state or the federal government might require you to renew these professional credentials every few years.

Once you are certified, you can then begin work in this capacity. You might work in a facility like a hospital where your patients could include people who are severely ill or malnourished. It will be up to you to help them eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise. You might be instrumental in making them healthy again.

As someone who tends to patients in this age group, you most likely will see your fair share of death and dying experiences. Your patients may ask you to help them cope with their impending demises. You could be instrumental in helping them come to terms with the fact that they are dying and coming to an end of their natural lives.

With this in mind, you may decide it is worth your time studying to become a geriatric nurse or at least a practitioner who works with the aging. This segment of the population is the fastest growing among all age groups. They have special needs that only healthcare workers who are trained in this aspect of medical care can meet.




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