
Sara Wolfson
Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
I help older adults manage their complex medical conditions and counsel their families.
In the morning I am in clinic with older adults who usually come in with acute health issues: they had a fall with an injury, their heart failure is flaring up, or they just don't feel well but don't know why. I am the detective helping them figure things out. In the afternoon I meet with families of patients newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I am actually breaking the news to the patient and family. Their reactions are diverse and run the emotional gamut. That can be tough to watch.
Here's the first step for college students
Work somewhere taking care of older adults. Respect and understand who they are. Get an undergraduate degree in nursing. You need the nursing theory and basic sciences. After you get that degree go out and work for a few years before considering graduate nursing. The work experience makes you a better grad student and guides your choice of a specialty.
"The noise came from me. I wasn't sure I could do it. I doubted myself as an older student. I was working, my kids were chronically ill, and the class work and papers took a huge amount of time. I thought about dropping out. I cried a lot too."