Geriatric Staff Nurse - Job Description, Duties, Education, Skills, Salary, & Growth

Geriatric Staff Nurse


Jump to:

Geriatric Staff Nurse Overview

 

Gerontology is the specialty of geriatrics which focuses on providing care for older adults. Nurses who work in this field understand the high demands of this specialty practice area.

Older adults are more likely to require health services than a young person. In fact, half of all admissions to hospitals are for patients over age 65. However, only 1 percent of nurses are certified in geriatrics.

In response to the aging of the American population, geriatric nursing is a rapidly growing career field. The post-WWII generation, called the “Baby Boomers,” is now hitting retirement age.

By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 20 percent of Americans will be over the age of 65.

.

Responsibilities

 

A geriatric nurse is educated to assess and treat the challenging physical and mental health needs found in older people.

These nurses try to assist their patients in protecting their health and coping with changes in their mental and physical abilities. The goal is to help older people remain independent and active as long as possible.

Common duties required of a geriatric nurse may include:

  • Assessment of the patient mental status and cognitive (thinking) skills

  • Understanding a patient’s acute and chronic health issues

  • Discussion of common health concerns, such as falls, sexual issues, incontinence and changing sleep patterns

  • Organizing medications

  • Educating patients about personal safety and disease prevention

  • Explaining and recommending adjustments to the patient’s medication routine to increase adherence to the treatment regimen

  • Helping the patient with access to local resources as needed

Many of the health conditions suffered by older people do not require hospitalization but must be managed with medication, changes in dietary habits, daily exercise routines, adaptations within the home and the use of special equipment, such as walkers or blood sugar monitors.

Geriatric nurses are responsible for helping patients design health care regimens and explaining the importance of the plan to patients and their families.

The geriatric nurse may fill the role of case manager, connecting families with community resources to assist them in caring for elderly family members.

.

Skills

 

Communication

Must effectively communicate with your co-workers to ensure the best care and the proper procedures. Must be able to communicate in high-stress environments.

Active Listening

Offering your full attention to an individual person or group in order to fully understand problems and their nature.

Critical Thinking

Must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making

Needs to be able to act autonomously and make difficult decisions that would benefit the patient or make corrections. Must consider all benefits and repercussions of potential actions and choose the appropriate one. 

Complex Problem Solving

Must be able to identify complex problems and develop and evaluate corrective options and implement solutions. 

Stress Management

Must be able to endure intense situations and handle pressure that comes with extreme situations you may encounter.

Trustworthiness

Must be trustworthy because you have people's lives in your hands and what you do could help or hurt them. They are entrusted with a great responsibility and must live up to it. 

Perceptiveness

Gauging how people react and read their body language to decipher their feelings and predict their actions. They must be able to determine if people could be a risk to themselves or others and to distinguish truths from lies.

.

Working Conditions

 

Employment opportunities for geriatric nurses are available in a variety of practice settings, such as:

  • Hospitals

  • Nursing homes

  • Senior centers

  • Rehabilitation facilities

  • Retirement communities

  • Patients’ homes through home health services

Geriatric nurses often are a vital part of a health care team that includes physicians, physical and occupational therapists, nursing aides, social workers and other caring professionals.

Geriatric nurses working in a hospital setting tend to work as part of a treatment team that serve a larger older patient population.

These teams may represent outpatient surgery, cardiology, ophthalmology, rehabilitation, dermatology and geriatric mental health, which may require treatment for psychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s, anxiety and depression.

In long-term care facilities and rehabilitation centers, geriatric nurses serve as patient care managers from the initial assessment through the development, implementation and evaluation of the care plan.

Geriatric nurses may also be required to take on administrative, training and leadership roles.

There is an increasing demand for geriatric nurses because of the aging population.

Employment opportunities are increasing in nursing homes and health care facilities that serve a large portion of the older patient population.

.

Salary Outlook

Geriatric Staff Nurse Salary
$57,777 25th Percentile
$63,790 50th Percentile
$73,752 75th Percentile
$27.78 Hourly
$30.67 Hourly
$35.46 Hourly
Estimated Annual Salary Average Hourly Wage Positions Nationwide
$69,790.00 $33.55 2,687,310
Title Company Location Posted
Geriatric Nursing Assistant McCready Health Crisfield, MD 11.15.2019
Geriatric Nursing Assistant Posted: November 15, 2019 Category: Nursing A Geriatric Nursing Assistant performs patient care activities and related duties under the direction and supervision of a licensed nurse. Assignments are specific in...
Clinical Nurse Specialist Adult/Geriatric Psychiatry Units UCLA Health Los Angeles, CA 11.22.2019
Responsibilities Become a key contributor to a world-renowned health system. Help deliver consistently exceptional nursing care. Take your clinical career in an exciting new direction. You can do all this and more at UCLA Health. Right now, we...
RN - Geriatric - 5NW UCLA Health Santa Monica, CA 11.18.2019
Responsibilities Under general supervision provide professional nursing care of Geriatric patient. Assess plan, develop, document and evaluate patient care plans. Provide guidance to team members by supervising nursing interventions and...
Opportunity for a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner to Join UVA Department of Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine University of Virginia Health System Charlottesville, VA 12.06.2019
The Department of Medicine's Division of General, Geriatric, Palliative, and Hospital Medicine at the University of Virginia seeks nurse practitioner candidates interested in joining an innovative house call practice in Geriatric Medicine....
Nurse Practitioner Geriatric Allina Health Mora, MN 11.11.2019
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares...
Nurse Practitioner-Geriatric Medicine MaineHealth Portland, ME 12.06.2019
Nurse Practitioner will be responsible for providing primary care services, including assessing, diagnosing, prescribing, treating and educating patients. Works closely with physicians and other clinicians in a team approach to patient care. This...
RN - 4North - Med/Geriatric Psych UCLA Health Los Angeles, CA 11.15.2019
Responsibilities The clinical nurse is a professional Registered Nurse who assumes responsibility and accountability for the Medical Geriatric Psychiatric patients for a designated time frame and provides care to these patients using the...
MHT FT Geriatric Psych Dayshift Baptist Health Montgomery, AL 11.12.2019
MHT FT Geriatric Psych Dayshift-(20-6188-MHT-A6-8-19) Description Baptist Health is the largest healthcare system serving central Alabama, providing comprehensive hospital-based and outpatient services to nearly 60 percent of the residents in...
Staff Nurse (NMH) Fisher-Titus Medical Center Norwalk, OH 12.06.2019
A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
Staff Nurse (NMH) Fisher-Titus Medical Center Norwalk, OH 12.06.2019
A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
Staff Nurse (NMH) Fisher-Titus Medical Center Norwalk, OH 12.06.2019
A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
Registered Nurse-Float Staff Life Care Medical Center Roseau, MN 11.07.2019
Provides quality patient care with the collaboration of physicians, registered nurses and department directors. Assessments, planning and evaluation of patient care needs on an individual basis. Adhere to Patient's Bill of Rights for all...
RN, Manager - Geriatric Psych - Edmond - FT, Days OU Medicine Oklahoma City, OK 12.06.2019
Position Title: RN, Manager - Geriatric Psych - Edmond - FT, Days Department: Behavioral Health Job Description: General Description: Under general direction, responsible for the planning, direction and coordination of services to...
RN - Registered Nurse - Geriatric Psych - FT, Nights - Edmond OU Medicine Oklahoma City, OK 12.06.2019
Position Title: RN - Registered Nurse - Geriatric Psych - FT, Nights - Edmond Department: Behavioral Health Job Description: RN - Registered Nurse - Autumn Life Center Shifts: Nights OU Medical Center Edmond - Edmond, OK General...
RN - Geriatric Psych - PRN CHI St Vincent Little Rock, AR 12.03.2019
As a Registered Nurse, you will be responsible for delivering the highest quality patient care according to the specific orders of each patients individual physician. This will involve, utilizing your knowledge and skills to educate patients and...
  1. Geriatric Nursing Assistant Crisfield, MD McCready Health
    Geriatric Nursing Assistant Posted: November 15, 2019 Category: Nursing A Geriatric Nursing Assistant performs patient care activities and related duties under the direction and supervision of a licensed nurse. Assignments are specific in...
  2. Clinical Nurse Specialist Adult/Geriatric Psychiatry Units Los Angeles, CA UCLA Health
    Responsibilities Become a key contributor to a world-renowned health system. Help deliver consistently exceptional nursing care. Take your clinical career in an exciting new direction. You can do all this and more at UCLA Health. Right now, we...
  3. RN - Geriatric - 5NW Los Angeles, CA UCLA Health
    Responsibilities Under general supervision provide professional nursing care of Geriatric patient. Assess plan, develop, document and evaluate patient care plans. Provide guidance to team members by supervising nursing interventions and...
  4. Opportunity for a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner to Join UVA Department of Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine Charlottesville, VA University of Virginia Health System
    The Department of Medicine's Division of General, Geriatric, Palliative, and Hospital Medicine at the University of Virginia seeks nurse practitioner candidates interested in joining an innovative house call practice in Geriatric Medicine....
  5. Nurse Practitioner Geriatric Minneapolis, MN Allina Health
    Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares...
  6. Nurse Practitioner-Geriatric Medicine Portland, ME MaineHealth
    Nurse Practitioner will be responsible for providing primary care services, including assessing, diagnosing, prescribing, treating and educating patients. Works closely with physicians and other clinicians in a team approach to patient care. This...
  7. RN - 4North - Med/Geriatric Psych Los Angeles, CA UCLA Health
    Responsibilities The clinical nurse is a professional Registered Nurse who assumes responsibility and accountability for the Medical Geriatric Psychiatric patients for a designated time frame and provides care to these patients using the...
  8. MHT FT Geriatric Psych Dayshift Montgomery, AL Baptist Health
    MHT FT Geriatric Psych Dayshift-(20-6188-MHT-A6-8-19) Description Baptist Health is the largest healthcare system serving central Alabama, providing comprehensive hospital-based and outpatient services to nearly 60 percent of the residents in...
  9. Staff Nurse (NMH) Norwalk, OH Fisher-Titus Medical Center
    A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
  10. Staff Nurse (NMH) Norwalk, OH Fisher-Titus Medical Center
    A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
  11. Staff Nurse (NMH) Norwalk, OH Fisher-Titus Medical Center
    A Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for delivery of optimal resident care through collaboration with all disciplines and the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Directs and guides resident and...
  12. Registered Nurse-Float Staff Roseau, MN Life Care Medical Center
    Provides quality patient care with the collaboration of physicians, registered nurses and department directors. Assessments, planning and evaluation of patient care needs on an individual basis. Adhere to Patient's Bill of Rights for all...
  13. RN, Manager - Geriatric Psych - Edmond - FT, Days Oklahoma City, OK OU Medicine
    Position Title: RN, Manager - Geriatric Psych - Edmond - FT, Days Department: Behavioral Health Job Description: General Description: Under general direction, responsible for the planning, direction and coordination of services to...
  14. RN - Registered Nurse - Geriatric Psych - FT, Nights - Edmond Oklahoma City, OK OU Medicine
    Position Title: RN - Registered Nurse - Geriatric Psych - FT, Nights - Edmond Department: Behavioral Health Job Description: RN - Registered Nurse - Autumn Life Center Shifts: Nights OU Medical Center Edmond - Edmond, OK General...
  15. RN - Geriatric Psych - PRN Little Rock , AR CHI St Vincent
    As a Registered Nurse, you will be responsible for delivering the highest quality patient care according to the specific orders of each patients individual physician. This will involve, utilizing your knowledge and skills to educate patients and...

Related Careers