The Young Gerontological Nurse Clinician Program: an innovative geropsychiatric nursing recruitment strategy

Historically, graduate nurses are not attracted to older adults or geriatric care. Innovative strategies, such as the Young Gerontological Nurse Clinician Program (YGNCP) initiated by the John A. Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the University of Iowa, are needed to promote geriatric nursing as a challenging and rewarding practice focus. The YGNCP, which provides early, positive, self-directed experiences for nursing students under the direction and supervision of faculty and expert clinical mentors, shows excellent potential for recruiting nurses to clinical and leadership positions in geriatric and geropsychiatric care.