Nursing is a versatile and demanding profession in Canada. Every year, thousands of international students apply to study nursing in Canada. While plenty of factors affect this decision, the most important of them is the global appreciation enjoyed by the Canadian health care system.
The Canadian health care system is globally acclaimed for its usage and implementation of the latest technology to make patient-care delivery a smoother experience. If you too are an international nursing student planning to study nursing in Canada, then you could choose from a plethora of specialized nursing programs to study.
A few popular ones include mental health, family-centered care, palliative care, chronic illness management, critical care, coronary care, and gerontology.
Amongst all these above-mentioned specializations, Gerontology is one such nursing discipline that is quite understated. Let us give you a thorough introduction to it along with some information on reliable Gerontology courses you could consider studying in Canada!
Gerontology – An Interprofessional Practice
The nursing specialization of Gerontology, known as aging studies is an interprofessional practice since it trains and educates young learners to treat their old and elderly patients within diverse healthcare settings.
Aging comes with various health concerns. To help people battling these concerns, Gerontology nurses treat them using the right patient care techniques and methods, which are learned as a part of a Gerontology nursing program.
Becoming a Gerontology nurse in Canada involves mental health treatments, healthy aging plans, developmental disabilities, recreation, and leadership skills. Gerontology nurses are most likely to offer their services to patients in-home support services, long-term care facilities, older adult care centers, and old age group homes.
Need for Gerontology Nurses Amongst Canadian Citizens
Amongst the citizens and permanent residents of Canada, more than 15% of the population is above the age of 65. Hence, there’s an increasing need for Gerontology nurses who can treat old and ill patients battling all sorts of illnesses resulting from the aging factor.
Most older people in Canada are unable to take care of themselves without any professional help. Hence, there is an increasing demand for skilled nurses who can improve their quality of life.
Gerontology Courses in Canada
Since the Canadian population of aging and retiring people is significant in size and composition, Canada is constantly trying to improve the quality of education being provided to Gerontology nurses.
Renowned colleges and universities are offering Gerontology specialization in Canada with a vision to produce nursing graduates that are exceptionally skilled and trained to improve the lives of older adult patients. Mentioned below are two of the handpicked Gerontology courses in Canada.
Ontario college graduate certificate at Fanshawe college
This is a one-year program that trains nursing students to care for aging adults. As a result of completing this program, graduates can seek employment opportunities in nursing homes, retirement homes, and long-term care facilities. You may get in touch with the college faculty to know more about the scope of scholarships, fees, eligibility, and placements.
Ontario College Diploma in Social Service Worker – Gerontology at Seneca College
This is a two-year diploma course aimed toward enriching young nursing graduates with the skills of assisting old people to maintain a good quality of life. The approach of this program aims to strengthen interprofessional collaborative practice while providing post-secondary education to nursing students and professionals. You could set a scope for future employment in retirement homes, long-term care homes, and hospitals.
After meeting all the academic requirements, students can get the opportunity to be a part of field placements. Enrolling in this program also gives you exposure to the professional nursing environment as the program trains you with a balanced approach towards upskilling your academics while gaining practical knowledge. In totality, it is an acceptable combination of training, educating, upskilling, and improving your employability as a nurse in Canada.
Is Gerontology a Good Career in Canada?
Yes, gerontology is a good career in Canada. Canada takes pride in a publicly funded healthcare system that guarantees universal coverage for healthcare services based on need, rather than the ability to pay.
For similar reasons, aging research has developed rapidly in the last decade and is expected to change the public and health care policies landscape. This development has opened doors for internationally educated nurses to secure a promising career as a nurse in Canada – a golden opportunity, indeed!
Is Gerontology in Demand in Canada?
With the ever-increasing population of old and retiring people in Canada, there is an urgent demand for skilled nurses. Gerontology as a field of nursing caters to the social, biological, and psychosocial needs of older adults. With a special emphasis on the medical care of the older population, Gerontology as high demand in Canada.
Since the ratio of the aging population and the number of Gerontology professionals is not in the right proportion, there is an emerging need for more skilled nurses specializing in Gerontology.
What to Expect From a Gerontology Career
Nurses choosing Gerontology nursing as their career can expect to learn a lot about human behavior. Since this specialization is dedicated to caring for older people there is plenty of experiential learning about medical conditions that can be psychological, psychosocial, and mental health-related.
The average base salary of a Gerontology nurse in Ontario, Canada is CAD 87,058 per year. As a Gerontology nurse in Canada, you must prepare yourself to tackle behavioral problems faced by your patients. Along with that, one can also expect a good salary as a Gerontology Nurse in Canada.
Throughout your career as a Gerontology nurse, you can expect lucrative salaries, versatile opportunities, interprofessional collaboration, diverse sets of patients, and a work-life balance. You must also know to communicate effectively with your patients since it is an integral part of your patient-care plans. As a Gerontology nurse, you must always remember that these expectations can be met only when you’re pursuing a Gerontology career in Canada instead of any other country.
Requirements & Program Information
If you have made up your mind to pursue Gerontology nursing in Canada then it is important to know in depth about the general admission requirements, program requirements, and curriculum. The admission criteria may vary for domestic applicants and international students.
As a domestic student, you’re entitled to pay the tuition fee much lower than what an international applicant would pay. The admission process is going to be basic for domestic students wherein they fill out the application form, pay the fee, fulfill the academic requirements, and begin with the classes.
For international students, the admission requirements differ as they have to prove their academic qualifications and eligibility to be in alignment with international educational standards. To begin with, students must get in touch with the admissions office and know about the list of documents to be collected and the program start date.
Every college or university offering a Gerontology course will have its set of requirements to be fulfilled. There could also be a possibility of an interview to ascertain your capabilities. Hence, as an international student, you must work well on your interviewing skills in advance.
International students who do not have English proficiency because it is not their first language must take an IELTS examination. Your college or university will navigate you through the English language requirements and accordingly, you must share the IELTS score along with your application.
Beyond the admission requirements, you must know more about the college campus, and read thoroughly through the curriculum to get a fair idea about the skills you’ll be developing and how are those going to be beneficial in your future jobs as a Gerontology nurse in Canada. Some of the renowned colleges may also provide clinical placement as a part of the program. Clinical placement can be highly beneficial to practice within clinical scenarios and get your exposure to hands-on practice.
Gerontology Studies for IENs
The Gerontology Program for IENs is offered by INSCOL in partnership with colleges in Canada. It is ideal for nurses who are interested in enhancing their core knowledge and leadership skills in caring for the aged population in diverse settings. Graduates from the program, with their previous professional credentials, will be equipped to give exemplary service to the ever-growing older population of Canada.
The Gerontology program in Canada gives opportunities to internationally educated nurses (IENs) to engage in personal change and growth, work cohesively as a team member, integrate and apply professional ethics, meet deadlines and learn to balance the various outcomes of various subjects. Students are taught to be responsible while demonstrating real-time patient scenarios on campus, as a part of their course.
What Does the Gerontology Post Graduate Certificate Provide?
The Gerontology program is ideal for nurses who are interested in enhancing their foundational knowledge, learning management system, and building leadership skills in caring for the health of older adults in diverse settings. Graduates of this program will combine their new, advanced learning with their previous professional credentials and experience to provide exemplary service to this growing population.
Employment Opportunities After The Post Graduate Certificate
For candidates pursuing the gerontology program, a wide range of employment opportunities fall in line, namely, Business & Industry, Clinics and Medical Centers focused on the geriatric population, Community Agencies, Hospitals, Acute and Rehab Centers, Community Organizations, Long Term Care, and Senior Centers.
Need for Gerontology Nurses to Serve Canada’s Aging Population
Like many other developed countries, Canada has a fair share of the aging population. But what sets them uniquely apart, is the collaborative approach enacted in the healthcare system followed by the aging research initiatives.
Amongst the old people in Canada, the problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s are on the rise. The problem has reached such a stage where with an increase in dementia patients is unable to match the strength of the nursing workforce in this line of practice.
Hence, more nurses are needed to be a part of the Gerontology specialization and help the older Canadian population sail through life.
