GERIATRIC ELECTIVE

NURSING 433

Learn to provide high quality, person-centered nursing care to older adults, using current research, evidenced-based guidelines, and foundational content to assess, form nursing diagnoses, and manage the complex health needs of older adults by being able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy aging, explore social determinants of health, provide for safety and well-being, and consider ethical clinical-decision making in geriatrics.

MEDICINE 920

Direct patient care involving a spectrum of acute medical conditions on inpatient hospital units with appropriate supervision from residents and attendings. Generate a weighted differential diagnosis, initial work-up and management for acute medical conditions. Review, interpret, and present current literature pertinent on patient care in primary care setting.

PSYCHIAT 930

Care of older adults with mental illness, including late-life depression and anxiety, suicidality, dementia, and substance use disorders. Under the supervision of clinicians with extensive experience in the care of older adults, help care for patients in inpatient, outpatient and long-term care settings. Have the opportunity to experience public health approaches to improving the mental health of older adults, for example, by attending caregiver support groups.

MEDICINE 906

Working directly as part of the inpatient consult team at the UW Hospital, an opportunity to practice and improve inpatient care skills for hospitalized elders. Learn to use basic assessment tools to diagnose and care for patients with common geriatric syndromes, such as delirium, cognitive impairment, depression, and falls. Learn to use prescription techniques better suitable for elderly patients, expand understanding of how medical decision-making capacity is assessed, and adopt multi-disciplinary strategies to manage patients' long-term care goals.

MEDICINE 919

Care for hospitalized patients on general medicine or hospital medicine services. Admit new patients, round on previously admitted patients, participate in multidisciplinary rounds, and work to transition patients to the next level of care. Evaluate and manage both patients with common inpatient conditions and medically complex patients requiring collaboration with consulting specialties. Complete other patient care related learning activities as assigned by instructors (e.g., literature reviews, presentations on specific topics); these are dependent on the individual student, attending physician, and clinical site.