Gerontological nursing practice standards: achievement and importance.

The 1987 ANA Standards of Gerontological Nursing Practice is compared with the 1976 Standards and found to be a new document, not simply a revision. These 1987 standards are assessed using five queries: progression, timeliness, adequacy of scope, substance, and form. Eighteen nurses practicing at a long term care facility in the midwest rated both the achievement and importance of these new standards. Descriptive data analysis demonstrated unmet expectations for all but 1 of the 11 standards. One appropriate function of the gerontological clinical nurse specialist is ongoing evaluation of these nursing practice standards which will continue to describe and prescribe professional nursing practice.