Aging with grace: Intraprofessional nursing simulation to improve Hawai'i's geriatrics workforce readiness

In 2020, approximately 17% of the US population was older than 65 years and is projected to double by the year 2050. In Hawai'i, the kūpuna (older adult) population percentage is higher than the national average, with 19% of the state's population being 65 years or older. Additionally, life expectancy in Hawai'i is the highest in the United States, with an average lifespan of 81 years, compared with the national average of 77 years, and 71 years in the state with the lowest life expectancy. The rapidly growing proportion of the population older than 65 years makes it vitally important that the United States and Hawai'i prepare a workforce of highly skilled, competent, and confident health care professionals who can provide geriatric care. The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative, evidence-based geriatrics curriculum called "Aging With Grace." The learning activity fostered intraprofessional collaboration, defined as collaboration among individuals from varied backgrounds within the same discipline, including nurse practitioner and prelicensure registered nurse (RN) students. This curriculum was designed to 1) improve knowledge and competency in caring for kūpuna (older adults), 2) apply skills to a simulated scenario caring for a kūpuna with complex needs in a safe and positive environment, 3) build competency in intraprofessional collaboration and promote career ladder growth for RN students, and 4) develop competency in telehealth.