Curriculum Development of a Clinical Course on Age-Friendly Health System 4Ms Care in Nursing Homes

TL;DR

This paper describes the development of a nursing course focused on geriatric care in nursing homes using the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework.

Contribution

It introduces a new clinical curriculum for undergraduate nursing students based on the AFHS 4Ms model in a real-world nursing home setting.

Findings

Post-course surveys showed improved student competency in clinical assessment and person-centered care.

Qualitative feedback indicated better understanding of geriatric care and nurse-resident relationships.

Nursing homes can serve as effective clinical learning environments for geriatric training.

Abstract

As the U.S. population ages, there is an urgent need to prepare nurses specialized in geriatric care, particularly in long-term care. Clinical curricula in nursing homes (NHs) are needed to enhance geriatric training for prelicensure students to improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this project was to design a practicum course with input from both NH staff and experienced instructors focused on principals of geriatric nursing care. University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing developed and implemented an 8-week, 1-credit elective clinical course based on the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) 4Ms framework through an academic-practice partnership with The Willows NH. Undergraduate nursing students engaged in weekly learning activities and developed a case study applying the 4Ms. Evaluation included pre- and post-course surveys of student and faculty competency ratings. Post-course data showed positive trends in student competency, especially in clinical assessment skills and person-centered care. Qualitative feedback highlighted improved understanding of geriatric care and nurse-resident relationships. The AFHS 4Ms-based course demonstrates that NHs can be effective clinical learning environments. Structured and competency-based curricula can enhance student preparedness for geriatric nursing. By leveraging structured orientation, strong academic-practice collaboration, and reflective learning, nursing programs can prepare students to meet the complex needs of aging populations in a way that also challenges misperceptions about NH practice.