Gerontological nursing competence-areas and the graduating nursing students' self-assessed competence in gerontological nursing
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Leena Palotie Hall 101A (Aapistie 5A). Remote access: https://oulu.zoom.us/j/64507109928
Topic of the dissertation
Gerontological nursing competence-areas and the graduating nursing students' self-assessed competence in gerontological nursing
Doctoral candidate
Master of Health Sciences, MHSc Anniina Tohmola
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Administration Research Unit
Subject of study
Nursing Science
Opponent
Professor Hannele Turunen, University of Eastern Finland
Custos
Docent Satu Elo, University of Oulu
The competence of nursing students in gerontological nursing is intermediate - there is still a lot to be developed in education
Nurses are expected to provide a wide range of skills in the care of the older people. According to a recent dissertation, nursing students currently studying at Universities of Applied sciences rate their gerontological nursing skills as intermediate.
In her dissertation, Anniina Tohmola, MHSc, investigated what kind of gerontological, or older people nursing skills, nursing education currently produces. The research focused on defining the areas of competence in gerontological nursing and on the self-evaluated competence of gerontological nursing students studying in Universities of Applied sciences.
According to the dissertation, the four key competence areas of gerontological nursing are clinical nursing competence, health and well-being promotion competence, interaction competence and ethical competence. All areas of expertise have diverse content areas and describe the broad field of expertise in which nurses of older people work.
In her dissertation, Tohmola developed an instrument of gerontological nursing competence, GeroNursingCom, which was used to find out the gerontological nursing competence of nursing students from a total of 274 students at nine different Universities of Applied sciences.
According to the survey, nursing students rate their gerontological nursing skills as intermediate. According to the responses, previous social and health education and nursing work experience were of great benefit in the development of competence. The best skills were in the area of appreciative encounter and interaction and the worst in the area of supporting the sexuality of older people.
Students from different backgrounds, such as practical nurses, undergraduates, or profession changers, achieve different learning outcomes, which, according to the doctoral candidate, should be taken into account in educational planning.
“Nursing for the older people is demanding and the competencies should be of a high standard. Only good competencies can meet the health and functional challenges of an aging population. Good competencies also benefit the employee, as they make nursing interesting and rewarding, ” says the dissertation candidate.
In her dissertation, Anniina Tohmola, MHSc, investigated what kind of gerontological, or older people nursing skills, nursing education currently produces. The research focused on defining the areas of competence in gerontological nursing and on the self-evaluated competence of gerontological nursing students studying in Universities of Applied sciences.
According to the dissertation, the four key competence areas of gerontological nursing are clinical nursing competence, health and well-being promotion competence, interaction competence and ethical competence. All areas of expertise have diverse content areas and describe the broad field of expertise in which nurses of older people work.
In her dissertation, Tohmola developed an instrument of gerontological nursing competence, GeroNursingCom, which was used to find out the gerontological nursing competence of nursing students from a total of 274 students at nine different Universities of Applied sciences.
According to the survey, nursing students rate their gerontological nursing skills as intermediate. According to the responses, previous social and health education and nursing work experience were of great benefit in the development of competence. The best skills were in the area of appreciative encounter and interaction and the worst in the area of supporting the sexuality of older people.
Students from different backgrounds, such as practical nurses, undergraduates, or profession changers, achieve different learning outcomes, which, according to the doctoral candidate, should be taken into account in educational planning.
“Nursing for the older people is demanding and the competencies should be of a high standard. Only good competencies can meet the health and functional challenges of an aging population. Good competencies also benefit the employee, as they make nursing interesting and rewarding, ” says the dissertation candidate.
Last updated: 1.3.2023