Starting Adult Health clinical in 2022 had given me a baseline of what it is like to work with the older population. Some of my experience with the gerontology population also came from working as a CNA in a long-term care facility. Despite my clinical and CNA experience working with this population I still believed some of the stereotypes that applied to older adults. For example, I believed older individuals were sick more often and most of the older population were in nursing homes. After taking Adult Health IV not only was I able to build from my baseline about older adults and reframe my thoughts about various stereotypes but I also learned about ageism in society. I am grateful to have worked with this population through clinical as it enhanced my communication and rapport skills. My experience with this population was delightful, I was able to connect with many elders coming from various backgrounds. Most elders like to talk, it was interesting hearing different stories of their life throughout the years. Many have lost their spouse, live alone, and are withdrawn socially which is why they enjoy talking to us. I also met some elders that were grumpy and did not enjoy seeing me. This course has taught me that personality can be affected by retirement, income, loss of independence, etc. When approaching elders the nurse should keep in mind that every individual’s background and story is different but to remain positive and consistent in the care delivered. My goal is to become a pediatric or neonatal nurse, I never had an interest working with the older population, but I am glad I gained experience through Adult Health clinical.
When approaching older individuals, we should be conscious on how we communicate and avoid applying stereotypes. We should learn every individual for who they are and not assume mobility and health status simply because of their age. Before taking Adult Health IV, I approached most older individuals the same in how I communicated and what I assumed. Although we should encourage all individuals to have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and promote hygiene habits, we should acknowledge that every elder functions at a different level. Changes of age are individualized therefore we should not treat every elder the same. I will apply what I learned by understanding the changes of aging and approaching each elder with an open mind. After assessing the individual, I will put emphasis on their capabilities and treat them based on their function, not stereotypes. This also goes for other populations as well. A nurse should never approach any pediatric or maternal patient the same. We must assess each patient not comparing them to other patients and provide them with care specific to them.
One take away I have from this course is that the process of continual change is normal, and change is normal. Society makes aging scary and feel abnormal. Being aware that cardiovascular change, respiratory change, gastrointestinal change, etc is a normal part of the process is reassuring. Knowing the natural changes that occur no matter how active you stay such as the heart muscle losing efficiency, the reduction of respiratory activity, and the reduction of muscle mass and strength pushes me to reflect on my current level of activity. I always here “health is wealth” and “you are what you eat”. At this age I haven’t took much into consideration about my aging process physically. This class has helped me make connections on the importance of exercise and a healthy diet that follows you through the aging process. I want to start eating healthier, become more active and nourish my body holistically to help with the aging process. Socially, this course has put into perspective how socializing and sexuality can become harder as you age due to the impacts of life. It is important to have awareness of the aging process physically and emotionally. As I go through the aging process, I hope I can remain aware of the natural changing process in order to age healthy both emotionally and physically. Professionally, I hope to coach nursing students one day and leave a legacy that fights for health care rights, inspires the younger generation, and makes a different in people’s lives. Personally, I hope I can leave a legacy of faith for my children to build off the baseline of values and morals I’ve instilled in them. Overall, this course has allowed me to truly appreciate the aging process and have a different point of view for the needs of an older individual.
