Elder RNs' perspectives on nursing education: lessons learned.

Nursing faculty are challenged with recruiting students and preparing graduates to practice in increasingly complex healthcare settings. The nursing shortage compounds the burden faced by faculty in meeting the needs of the profession. A grounded theory study that explores the perceptions of nurses aged 65 years and older regarding the state of the nursing profession in light of the shortage revealed many interesting aspects of "early" nursing education that are worth revisiting.

Elder RNs: learning from their experiences.

A grounded theory study of elderly registered nurses was conducted to explore perceptions about the nursing profession in light of the nursing shortage. The participants ranged in age from 65 to 90 and came from a variety of educational and nursing backgrounds. As they spoke of their perceptions, participants shared their personal stories regarding the reasons they went to nursing school, ways they feel they made a difference in others' lives because they were nurses, and their views as elderly patients of nursing today.