“MY EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S HAS EMPOWERED ME TO SPEAK MY MIND.”
Be an Agent of Change
Individuals are living longer than ever and remaining more active later in life. This increase in patients’ lifespans is contributing to an increase in neurological illnesses related to aging, particularly dementia. There is now an unprecedented need for caring nurse practitioners skilled in the care of older adult populations and the treatment of neurological disorders.
Saint Mary’s College has partnered with GuideStar Eldercare to design a geriatric neuropsychiatry certificate for nurse practitioners that approaches treating patients with neurodegenerative disorders through a multidisciplinary lens. When you study geriatric neuropsychiatry at Saint Mary’s College, you’ll learn how to become a nurse practitioner who helps aging patients live independent lives, as well as how to decrease misdiagnoses, pharmaceutical mismanagement and reliance on antipsychotic medications.
Expand Your Skills With Geriatric Neuropsychiatry
The geriatric neuropsychiatry certificate curriculum will help you master the techniques and methods needed to deliver the highest quality care for your older adult patients:
- We’ve designed our geriatric neuropsychiatry certificate for working professionals with hectic schedules. This certificate program is offered entirely online. At Saint Mary’s, you don’t have to choose between accessible education and clinical experience.
- Our post-master’s certificate program is open to NP’s or those with equivalent education.
- Students already enrolled in the DNP program can add the certificate in geriatric neuropsychiatry to their program of study. If you are already an APRN, you can join our accelerated MSN to DNP track and add the geriatric neuropsychiatry emphasis, or you can earn the geriatric neuropsychiatry certificate by itself without pursuing a DNP.
Enhance Your Career
There is a current shortage of nurses and nurse practitioners specialized in the field of geriatric neuropsychiatry in the U.S. This means that dementia-related illnesses are not being treated with the interdisciplinary approach needed to ensure high quality of life outcomes.
Saint Mary’s and GuideStar offer a geriatric neuropsychiatry certificate that combines neurology/neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, geriatrics and psychiatry to prepare students to fill this gap. As a student in our certificate program, you’ll learn that just because a patient is showing symptoms that look psychiatric, that doesn’t mean that the underlying causes fall entirely into that category.
When you join our advanced nursing program, you’ll benefit from our exclusive partnership with GuideStar Eldercare, which works with facilities across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. Combined with the exceptional need for specialized nurse practitioners, this means that you’ll have plentiful opportunities across the country for rewarding careers as a nurse with this advanced and groundbreaking training.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job opportunities for nurse practitioners will grow up to 38 percent by 2032, more than seven times the national average for all other occupations. The subfield of geriatric nursing is expected to grow even more as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age.