We are an interdisciplinary community of clinicians, nurse educators, researchers, scientists, and learners whose leadership involves actively improving health care and quality of life for older adults in America. CGNE establishes and maintains affiliations and collaborative partnerships with various community members, strategic partners, and organizations on a local and regional basis, throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and in countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Housed within the Penn State College of Nursing, the center was established in 2007 with a mission to prepare a growing number of nurse educators who possess both the passion and the expertise to create the future of gerontological nursing education and practice.
The center collaborates with and provides programming for all Penn State campuses, including six satellite sites, other colleges and departments, and World Campus online education.
To improve the lives of older adults in positive and person-centered ways
We accomplish this through the promotion of cognitive, emotional/behavioral, and physical health.
Faculty and staff have been actively engaged in our vision for many years, with the initiation and development of our center providing a focused and rich opportunity to enhance their work.
Our academic center of excellence:
Our work:
To improve gerontology and meet the demands of this growing industry, our team forges collaborative relationships with:
1. Educational Excellence—developing and implementing innovative nursing and interprofessional education in gerontology to better prepare nurses and improve interdisciplinary approaches to care
2. Scientific Research—supporting and conducting studies to advance science in the health and care of older adults with an emphasis on an age-friendly and person-centered care model
3. Translation of Best Practice—applying and disseminating evidence-based clinical practices into the continuum of care for older adults to improve health and quality-of-life outcomes
4. Strategic Partnerships and Sustainability—establishing community and clinical partnerships to better implement and sustain our vision and mission
What motivates and guides our mission
Financial Support
Operations for the CGNE’s first eight years were supported with a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation. More recently, the CGNE has received leadership support from:
The center receives additional financial support for its many mission initiatives from individuals and organizations in the form of support endowments, annual donations, and sponsorship. This support is needed to sustain our education, research, research translation, and outreach programs; graduate students; and early-career faculty members.
Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
304 Nursing Sciences Building
814-863-1048