Gerontological nursing 1: challenges nursing older people in acute care.

This article, the first in a series of five, will briefly trace the emergence of gerontological nursing and highlight some of the tensions that currently exist in the context of acute care environments. The next two articles will consider the prospects and challenges for nurses working with older people in community and nursing home environments, while the fourth article uses hearing impairment across a range of care contexts as a case study to summarize the ways in which the nursing contribution to the health needs of older people could be significantly improved. The series will conclude with an article drawing together the challenges that gerontological nursing faces in the new millennium.