POLICY IMPLICATIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF GERONTOLOGY/GERIATRICS INSTRUCTION IN NURSING PROGRAMS AT THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE LEVEL IN CALIFORNIA.
Contributors: University of Southern California.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 155
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Gerontology.; Education, Community College.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This case study examined Associate Degree nursing programs of California Community Colleges and the impact experienced in the Gerontology/Geriatrics education by the implementation of policies from two sources: (a) the Community College legislation AB 1725 and (b) the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) recommendations. Two levels of inquiry were made: the first focused on the community college; the second focused on the nursing programs in reference to three points in time--1986 when the BRN recommendations were made to establish Gerontology/Geriatrics in the curriculum with faculty content experts; 1989 when the curriculum guidelines were distributed; and 1995 when policy implementation should have been completed. The study looked at the extent and characteristics of faculty, curriculum content, and clinical practice by a survey instrument which was designed to analyze integrated curriculum and attempted to alleviate problems of cross-discipline communication.

The Community College legislation assisted some nursing programs to prepare faculty as content experts through available funding sources, however, the majority of programs experienced little impact from the legislation.

The data indicated that Gerontology/Geriatrics instruction was taking place in the associate degree nursing programs prior to 1986, in variable forms, and could be traced as early as 1959. Researchers involved in previous studies have concluded that very little Gerontology/Geriatrics was being taught in California, however, this research shows that the instruction was hidden within a larger curriculum.

Following the 1986 BRN recommendations and the 1989 curriculum guidelines, nursing programs in California have; increased the extent of Gerontology/Geriatric instruction; raised the level of the preparation of the faculty, established permanency through tenure, and increased the numbers of faculty teaching this content area and; increased the extent of clinical practice hours in nursing programs, expanded the variety of sites for the practicum, and raised the extent of preparation of preceptors in the field. This development has occurred incrementally as observed across the three points in time.

Acceptance of external control on higher education curriculum by nursing programs and the community college facilitated acceptance and implementation of the new recommendations which has resulted in increased amounts of instruction and consistency between programs.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-01, Section: A, page: 0083.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 1995.

School code: 0208.