Reviewers sought small, innovative, and
promising programs, as well as larger, well-established
curricula, that could be showcased as proven models of
excellence. Among other elements, such programs have separate,
free-standing courses that focus on gerontology; use multiple
clinical sites creatively; form partnerships with community
resources; have faculty knowledgeable in and committed
to geriatric nursing care; and integrate gerontological
experiences into the overall curriculum.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for university
and four-year college education programs in nursing. Representing
more than 585 member schools of nursing at public and
private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational, research,
governmental advocacy, data collection, publications,
and other programs work to establish quality standards
for bachelor's- and graduate-degree nursing education,
assist deans and directors to implement those standards,
influence the nursing profession to improve health care,
and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate
nursing education, research, and practice. www.aacn.nche.edu
The Hartford Institute for Geriatric
Nursing, proudly housed at the New York University College
of Nursing, seeks to shape the quality of health care
older Americans receive by promoting the highest level
of geriatric competence in all nurses. By raising the
standards of nursing care, the Hartford Institute aims
to ensure that people age with optimal function, comfort,
and dignity. The Hartford Institute identifies and develops
best practices in nursing care of older adults and infuses
these practices into the education of every nursing student
and the work environment of every practicing professional
nurse. The Hartford Institute encourages national leadership
to establish best practice as the standard for geriatric
nursing care. www.hartfordign.org.
Abstracts and Profiles
Geriatric Faculty Member Award
Virginia Burggraf, DNS, RN, FAAN, Radford University (VA)
Profile: Dr. Virginia Burggraf is well known
in gerontological nursing, having been active in the field
for over twenty-five years. As Distinguished Professor
of Gerontological Nursing at Radford University, Dr. Burggraf
has numerous grants to develop leadership initiatives
for students to serve aging populations and advance the
science of gerontological nursing. Among her many accomplishments,
she developed the first curriculum in gerontological nursing
at Louisiana State University School of Nursing (LSU)
and facilitated the Louisiana State Nurses Association's
(LSNA) first Geriatric Nursing Interest Group. She was
the first nurse in the state to receive ANCC certification
in gerontological nursing (1982) and received an AJN Book
of the Year award for her 1989 text: Nursing the Elderly:
A Care Plan Approach. She co-authored the seminal text,
The Nursing Process and The Older Adult, which received
the AJN Book of the Year Award and went on to publish
another text, Geriatric Nursing: Current Research and
Practice, which was among the first gerontology texts
to address Healthy People 2000. As an advocate for the
older adult, she became the long-term care policy analyst
for the American Nurses Association and later developed
proposals with funding over $3,000,000 for American Nurses
Foundation. She has a monthly newspaper column, "Ginger
Says," in which she reaches over 66,000 seniors with
health information. She is a member of 5 editorial review
boards and edits a column: Healthy People 2010 in the
Journal of Gerontological Nursing. Dr. Burggraf received
her doctorate in Gerontological Nursing from LSU in 1996.
She is a Fellow in the National Gerontological Nursing
Association and the American Academy of Nursing (AAN).
She is a member of the AAN expert panel on long-term care.
Infusing Geriatrics into the Curriculum
Award
Fairfield University (CT)
Abstract: Over the past three years, Fairfield
University School of Nursing (FUSON) has systematically
enhanced geriatrics across its undergraduate curriculum.
The goals of the FUSON project were to: 1) produce nurses
prepared with the knowledge, experience and commitment
to advocate for and address the health needs and quality
of life concerns of older adults and 2) develop within
faculty the necessary expertise to create classroom and
clinical learning experiences that engage the aging community
and impassion students about working with older adults.
All faculty were encouraged to participate in a planning
subcommittee after attending a weeklong workshop led by
three renowned geriatric experts, resulting in a new content
map guided by Best Nursing Practices in Care of Older
Adults Curriculum Guide (Hartford Institute, 2001) and
Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular
Guidelines for Geriatric Nursing Care (AACN/ Hartford
Foundation, 2000). Pre- and post-attitude surveys provide
evidence that graduates had more positive impressions
about working with older adults. In a national content
exam validated by Educational Resources Incorporated,
students exceeded the national average for geriatric knowledge
competency. Qualitative evidence from student journals
and course evaluations further demonstrate the positive
impact. Intra-faculty collaboration has grown to an unprecedented
level that has enhanced scholarly productivity and led
to new grants programs involving community dwelling elderly,
continuing education for practitioners and spiritual program
enhancement.
Clinical Settings in Geriatric Nursing
Award
Grand Valley State University (MI)
Abstract: The curriculum objective was to
integrate gerontology classroom content and clinical experiences
in most required nursing courses. The gerontology team,
composed of Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) faculty
who had an interest in gerontology, developed the Longitudinal
Elder Initiative (LEI) assignment that was implemented
with a pilot group of 8 students in Winter Semester 2004.
This longitudinal assignment is based on the Recommended
Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular Guidelines for
Geriatric Nursing Care (AACN/ Hartford Foundation, 2000)
and curricular guidelines for geriatric nursing care as
previously mapped into the BSN curriculum. The LEI provides
exposure to geriatrics early in the program, in the first
clinical nursing course, and builds upon this experience
throughout the curriculum. In addition, every course in
the undergraduate nursing program focuses on the holistic
needs of clients across the lifespan. In the clinical
setting, students are placed in a continuum of clinical
sites as they progress through the curriculum allowing
them to accordingly apply the LEI assignments and other
nursing interventions with gerontological clients. Evidence
of positive outcomes was measured in student evaluations.
The LEI pilot group graduated in April 2005. All 8 members
participated in a focus group which sought their evaluations
of the LEI project. Their feedback included their appreciation
of being a member of the pilot group and how they benefited
from their four semesters of caring for older adults.
The first entire class of 64 students involved in the
LEI graduated August 2005; their constructive feedback
is being used to further improve the LEI project. All
BSN students are now required to complete the LEI, and
the project currently has 256 students paired with elders
from 21 diverse community locations.
Stand-Alone Baccalaureate Geriatric Course
Award
Hawaii Pacific University (HI)
Abstract: Gerontologic Nursing is a stand
alone required core course for junior level nursing students
with both didactic and clinical components. The didactic
component bases the context of the course upon the ANA
Standards of Gerontological Nursing, Dungan's Model, and
Leininger's Sunrise Model of Culture Care. Together these
form the basis for the study of normal age-related changes
in the psychosocial and physical aspects of aging. Concepts
such as stereotyping, ethnocentrism, and cultural imposition
are introduced early to prepare students to recognize
their own stereotypes toward aging. Establishing what
is normal aging and emphasizing healthy norms for elders
assists in breaking down negative stereotypes. Content
on normal age-related changes and lifestyle choices are
correlated with the resulting risk for diseases prevalent
among elders. Nursing care of elders to prevent, treat,
and adapt to diseases is presented with the intent to
maintain optimal function and quality of life. And finally,
students study hospice care as a standard for providing
healthy end-of-life care to clients in any setting. The
clinical component of Gerontologic Nursing includes experiential
classroom exercises, visits to elders who are not institutionalized,
and service learning participation in community agencies
that reflect healthy aging or healthy adaptation to disease.
Role-playing activities assist the students to consider
moral and ethical aspects of nursing leadership in gerontological
nursing. Case studies facilitate discussions on different
cultural backgrounds and worldviews. Aging Game by Slack
Publishers allows students to experience and discuss lack
of control, stereotypes, and limitations related to aging
and disease. In the Senior Companion Program students
utilize therapeutic communication with consideration for
the sensory changes of aging. Students establish a relationship
with the elder that includes assessment of social, spiritual
and activity interests resulting in mutually determined
activities that include walking, shopping, and even reviewing
photo albums. This relationship encourages elders to share
life experiences and their perspectives on aging and health,
while students encourage reminiscence, life review, and
health. Students also assist and/or participate in healthy
aging events such as the Senior Olympics, Senior Health
Fairs, and advisory boards of various partner agencies.
