Gerontological Nursing Certification Examination study plan
GERO-BC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Assessment and Management of the Older Adult
Map the assessment domain's blueprint weight and list the core geriatric assessment domains (function, cognition, mood, nutrition, sensory, continence, falls risk) from memory
Define each component of a comprehensive geriatric assessment and state the purpose of each in one sentence
Differentiate normal aging changes from pathologic findings across at least six body systems
Practice interpreting atypical presentations of acute illness in older adults by writing three clinical vignettes and explaining the reasoning
Build a one-page recall sheet linking assessment tools (e.g., ADL/IADL scales, gait speed, cognitive screens) to the domain each measures
Your checkpoint
A completed one-page assessment-tool matching sheet scored against a self-written answer key, with at least 90% correct pairings
Assessment and Management of the Older Adult & Chronic Illness and Multimorbidity Management
Apply the assessment framework to three multimorbidity case vignettes and prioritize problems using function and goals rather than diagnosis count alone
Explain how to individualize glycemic and blood pressure targets in older adults with limited life expectancy or frailty
Outline guideline-based management of heart failure and COPD in older adults, noting where age-specific cautions apply
Describe approaches to managing urinary incontinence, constipation, and chronic pain in older adults
Compare single-disease guidelines with multimorbidity-informed care and articulate when to deviate
Your checkpoint
Three written case analyses, each with a prioritized problem list, individualized targets, and a rationale paragraph graded against a self-made rubric
Chronic Illness and Multimorbidity Management & Functional Status, Mobility, and Falls Prevention
Identify the major chronic conditions driving functional decline and describe their functional consequences
Perform a structured falls risk assessment on paper for three hypothetical patients, listing intrinsic and extrinsic contributors
Explain the multifactorial falls prevention approach and select appropriate interventions for each risk factor identified
Describe gait and balance assessment methods and state what findings prompt referral
Outline a mobility-preservation plan including exercise, assistive devices, and environmental modification
Your checkpoint
A completed falls risk assessment and multifactorial intervention plan for three paper patients, with at least three interventions matched to each identified risk factor
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention & Functional Status, Mobility, and Falls Prevention
List the recommended immunizations and preventive screenings for older adults and state the age- or risk-based criteria for each
Explain how to weigh screening benefit against harm in older adults with limited life expectancy
Describe exercise prescription for older adults, including aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility components
Connect nutrition, sensory screening, and hearing/vision correction to functional and fall outcomes
Design a preventive care plan for a healthy 75-year-old and a frail 85-year-old and contrast them
Your checkpoint
A side-by-side preventive care plan for two contrasting patients, with each recommendation justified by age, risk, and life expectancy
Medication Management and Polypharmacy
Apply the Beers criteria conceptually by listing drug classes to avoid in older adults and the adverse effects driving each caution
Explain pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes with aging and how each alters dosing decisions
Describe a structured medication reconciliation and deprescribing process, including tapering considerations
Identify anticholinergic burden and its link to cognition, falls, and continence
Practice identifying prescribing cascades in three medication lists and propose safer alternatives
Your checkpoint
Three annotated medication lists with flagged high-risk drugs, identified cascades, and a written deprescribing recommendation for each
Cognitive and Mental Health
Differentiate delirium, dementia, and depression by onset, course, and key features
Describe delirium prevention and nonpharmacologic management strategies
Explain cognitive screening and staging approaches and when formal neuropsychologic testing is indicated
Outline assessment and management of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance in older adults with attention to medication risk
Identify safety and caregiver-support needs associated with cognitive impairment
Your checkpoint
A comparison table of delirium, dementia, and depression covering onset, course, features, assessment, and management, plus a written delirium prevention plan
Palliative and End-of-Life Care & Care Coordination and Transitions of Care
Describe core palliative care principles, symptom assessment, and goals-of-care conversations in older adults
Explain hospice eligibility concepts and the differences between palliative care and hospice
Outline pain and dyspnea management at end of life, including opioid principles and adjuvant use
Identify transition-of-care risks and describe strategies to reduce readmissions and medication errors at discharge
Explain the components of a safe handoff and the role of advance care planning documents across settings
Your checkpoint
A written goals-of-care conversation script plus a discharge transition checklist covering medication reconciliation, follow-up, and advance care planning
Ethics, Advocacy, and Patient Safety & Assessment and Management of the Older Adult & Medication Management and Polypharmacy
Apply ethical principles to capacity assessment, informed consent, and surrogate decision-making scenarios
Describe elder mistreatment recognition, mandatory reporting concepts, and advocacy steps
Identify patient safety risks including restraint use, pressure injuries, and infection prevention in older adults
Integrate the highest-yield concepts from the assessment and medication domains into a consolidated review
Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and analyze every missed item by domain and error type
Your checkpoint
A timed 60-question mixed-domain practice set with a written error analysis categorizing each miss by domain and cause, plus a one-page high-yield summary sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Complete the first two domain-1 and domain-3 case analyses and score at least 80% on a self-made 20-item quiz covering assessment and multimorbidity
Week 4: Complete the falls assessment deliverable and the two-patient preventive care plan, and confirm all domain-1 and domain-5 goals are checked off
Week 6: Complete the delirium/dementia/depression comparison table and the medication deprescribing deliverable, and score at least 80% on a 25-item mixed quiz across domains 3, 4, 5, and 6
Week 8: Complete the timed 60-question practice set with error analysis and finish the high-yield summary sheet covering all nine domains