My baseline views related to gerontology were the typical biased opinions of an older adult, that a lot of people have in the world. Some of those consisted of most older people not having their mind, being incontinent, driving slowly, etc. My baseline view of working with the gerontological population is that you have to approach it in a slower manner and allow them time to continue to be independent even if it takes a little bit longer than you would like. I do not have a particular interest in working with older individuals when I become a registered nurse, but at the same time I know that no matter what field I travel into I will always be exposed to the older population.

Overall, I would say that my viewpoint has changed because the older individual still needs to obtain the same needs in life as everyone else in the world. I think the most important thing to recognize is the fact that sexuality still exists within the older individual. I know that many people think that this is weird to talk about, but it is something that needs to be addressed because it is a need for the individual just like it is for any younger folks in the population. I will approach working with older individuals in the same manner I would any other patient. It is not fair to them to assume they are hard of hearing, losing their mind, or any less capable of completing a task just because they are older. It is basically the concept of judging a book by its cover, they could still very well be capable of everything that they were when they were younger.

I think something that will lead to my own healthy aging is remaining physically active throughout the aging process. It is important to continue to do the things that I enjoy and love. I believe that you need to continue these things in order to make your mind and body feel younger than it actually is. My family, friends and I all enjoy a lot of the same hobbies and I wish to continue these things throughout the rest of my life and theirs. I think this will leave a positive impact on my future as well as the career I plan to build in nursing. I want to create a legacy in the nursing field. I want people to remember me as the nurse who dedicated 40+ years in the field.