The thirteen students admitted to the first edition of the Postgraduate Degree in Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing, offered by the Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) as part of the Living the Future Academy project, have successfully completed the program and suggested an “increase in the number of teaching hours” to allow for the “[more] in-depth analysis and discussion of practical cases.”
The nurses, most working in hospital services, expressed “a high level of satisfaction with the program.” In their “final evaluation,” they praised “the program’s quality, the cohesiveness between the curricular units, the acquisition of gerontological and geriatric skills, and the pedagogical relationship established between all involved in the teaching-learning process.”
Professor Maria de Lurdes Almeida, coordinator of both the Scientific-Pedagogical Unit of Elderly Nursing at the ESEnfC and this Postgraduate Degree, highlighted that “the Postgraduate Degree in Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing pertains to a specialized field of nursing that offers numerous advantages to health professionals that care for older adult patients, including those with complex health conditions.”
Professor Almeida explains that “some of the advantages of this graduate program include specialized knowledge regarding aging and related diseases, improved career opportunities, patient-centered care for older adults, scientific updates, and professional recognition.”
Professor Almeida added, “With this training, nurses acquire advanced skills and specific knowledge to address the challenges of longevity (faced by patients, families, and caregivers), ultimately leading to a more qualified and focused nursing practice.”
The coordinator of the Postgraduate Degree in Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing considers it “essential to enhance the proficiency in the field of Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing with postgraduate courses and/or master’s programs.” Such training “offers nurses a greater comprehension of the issues connected to aging, evidence-based practices, research, and care management for older adult patients.”
This Postgraduate Degree in Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing is included in the set of training opportunities developed under the Living the Future Academy project, a project coordinated by the University of Coimbra and financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and the Next Generation E. U. European Funds. This training program specifically falls under the Adult Incentive - investment RE-C06-i03.
The Postgraduate Degree in Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing at the ESEnfC is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Training Activities of the Portuguese Nursing Regulator until January 2025.
The program’s first edition was completed on July 7, 2023. The next edition is scheduled to start in February 2024
[2023-07-25]
