Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative

In January 2008 the John A. Hartford Foundation awarded the American Academy of Nursing and the Universities of Arkansas, Iowa, and Pennsylvania a four year collaborative project to enhance the cognitive and mental health of older Americans.

The Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative (GPNC) is designed to help improve the education of nurses for the care of elders suffering depression, dementia and other mental health disorders. The collaborative effort will enhance extant competencies for all levels of nursing education, focusing them on older adults with mental health/illness concerns. The competency statements together with curriculum materials developed for basic, graduate, post-graduate, and continuing education nursing programs will be shared via this website in 2011. For more information, see GPNC Goals and Activities (PDF). Core members of the collaborative include: Principal Investigators, Project Coordinator, GPNC National Advisory Panel and GPNC Core Competency Work Group.

See Background and Resources for related information, including a link to the GPNC Video and Geropsychiatric Nursing Competency Enhancements. 

Principal Investigators:

Cornelia K. Beck, PhD, RN, FAAN
Louise Hearn Chair in Dementia and Long-term Care
Professor, College of Medicine and College of Nursing
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Kathleen C. Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor Emerita
University of Iowa

Lois K. Evans, PhD, RN, FAAN
Van Ameringen Professor in Nursing Excellence
Associate Director, John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

For more information contact:

Pamela Dudzik
Project Coordinator, Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative
American Academy of Nursing
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