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Click Here 53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, March 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 11, 2004 SOU grad program to train geriatric nurses By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune A new graduate program on the Southern Oregon University campus could mean better health care for seniors across Southern Oregon. Oregon Health & Science University will begin training geriatric nurse practitioners on the SOU campus this fall. Geriatric nurse practitioners (known as GNPs) specialize in treating people over age 55. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have earned graduate degrees. Each state defines the range of allowed duties for nurse practitioners, but Oregon gives them a broad purview: They may diagnose and treat patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medicine and make home visits. Nurse practitioners can choose from several specialty areas, including adult care, pediatrics, women’s health or geriatrics. Of the 150 nurse practitioners now working in Jackson and Josephine counties, just three have specialized in geriatrics, said Heather Young, director of health research for OHSU in Southern Oregon. Young said older people often have multiple medical problems, and few health-care providers have specific training to deal with the complications that arise with multiple conditions, Researchers also have realized that health issues for a 65-year-old differ substantially from those of a 90- or 100-year old. Advertisement "Just as children aren’t simply little adults, older people are not just older middle-aged people," said Patti Lane, an associate professor of nursing for OHSU in Ashland. Portland-based OHSU operates a branch of its nursing school on the SOU campus. "We’re really talking about three generations of older people," Young said. She noted that Jackson and Josephine counties already have significantly more senior residents (16 percent and 20 percent, respectively) than the national average (12.4 percent), and their numbers are expected to grow as more people retire to Southern Oregon. Young said seniors will need more health-care providers who know how to manage arthritis, hearing loss, high blood pressure, fatigue and the other conditions that typically afflict older people. The training program will be offered for a single two-year cycle beginning in September. Young said OHSU was one of just five universities across the United States to receive funding for the project from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. Tuition and fees will total about $12,000 for each academic year. Three-percent loans are available, Lane said. Nurses who already have a four-year nursing degree will be eligible to earn a master’s degree and obtain certification as a nurse practitioner with a specialty in geriatrics. There will be slots for six students at SOU and a limited number of students also will be trained in Portland. The new GNPs would have a number of work options, said Sandy Theis, associate dean for OHSU’s Southern Oregon region. They could start their own individual practice, work with a physicians group, or serve nursing homes and other care centers. "Somebody who’s really creative could carve themselves a nice niche," Theis said. Lane said she would like to see the new GNPs spread across the broader southwest Oregon region. "My goal is to have somebody on the coast, somebody in Roseburg and somebody in Klamath, so that we can have an impact on care giving." For more information about the geriatric nurse practitioner program see OHSU’s Web site www.ohsu.edu/son and click on "academic programs." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times