HARTFORD
INSTITUTE / AACN AWARD HONORS NURSING
SCHOOLS FOR INNOVATIVE GERONTOLOGY EDUCATION
2000
Award Recognizes Four Nursing Programs as
Educational Models of Excellence
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 14, 2000 - Offering
a curriculum that focuses on health as well as illness,
plus emphasizes the development of the older adult, the
Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing is the first-place
winner of the 2000 Award for Exceptional Baccalaureate
Curriculum in Gerontologic Nursing, presented by
the John
A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing at
New York University (Hartford Institute) in collaboration
with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
The
awards, established by the Hartford Institute and presented
in ceremonies October 22 at AACN's fall semiannual meeting
in Washington, D.C., nationally recognize schools and programs
of nursing that exhibit exceptional, substantive, and innovative
baccalaureate curricula in gerontological nursing education.
"As
older adults comprise a rapidly expanding segment of the
U.S. population, geriatric care skills increasingly will
become part of every nurse's repertoire," says AACN President
Carolyn Williams, PhD, RN, FAAN. "These awards honor models
of excellence that encourage the highest standards of gerontological
nursing education, and AACN is extremely pleased to continue
this collaborative effort with the Hartford Institute in
coordinating and developing guidelines for this important
initiative."
"We
are delighted to be able to foster and showcase nursing
schools in the forefront of meeting their responsibilities
to adequately prepare students through outstanding geriatric
curricula," says Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, professor of
nursing education and director of the Hartford Institute
for Geriatric Nursing. "We are also delighted to partner
with AACN in this effort."
As
first-place winner, the Pennsylvania State University
School of Nursing received an award of $1,000. A second-place
award of $500 was presented to the University of Nebraska
Medical Center College of Nursing. Honorable Mentions
went to Sacred Heart University Nursing Programs and
Physical Therapy Program in Fairfield, Connecticut and
to the Department of Nursing at Winston-Salem State University
School of Health Sciences in North Carolina.
Winning
curricula were selected for their innovative approach, demonstrated
relevance in clinical settings, and ease of replication
by other nursing schools and programs. 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.
Curricula
of all winners will be summarized and distributed to nursing
programs nationwide.
Winning
Elements
At
Pennsylvania State University, gerontological
nursing concepts are woven throughout the baccalaureate
nursing curriculum. Health care of elderly adults is approached
from a developmental, holistic approach, with the prominent
focus on health as well as illness. One required course
and two electives focus specifically on the older adult.
"Nursing Care of the Elderly," which is required, emphasizes
normal aging processes, health promotion, disease prevention,
and management of acute and chronic health problems, and
includes 75 hours of clinical experience. Baccalaureate
students from nursing and other disciplines are encouraged
to take advantage of the Gerontology Center housed in the
college by participating in an intercollegiate undergraduate
minor in gerontology, a "Death and Dying" course, or interdisciplinary
research projects. For example, nursing and exercise science
students may collaborate to promote exercise and strength
training in older adults. More than half of nursing students
participate in weekly clinics operated by the school in
an elderly housing unit in an underserved rural community
of Pennsylvania. The innovative aspect of the university's
gerontologic curriculum involves thinking beyond illness
and institutional care toward community-based care that
promotes health and function in the elderly.
Also
honored this year are:
Second-Place
University
of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing - With
four campuses across the state, the university's nursing
curriculum provides an innovative example of how to implement
gerontologic content in a variety of settings. A required
course, "Gerontological Nursing," is an integral part of
students' theoretical and clinical learning during the fourth
semester. Faculty on each campus participate in clinical
experiences, and students have the opportunity to care for
older adults in rehabilitation units, assisted living units,
and nursing homes, among other care facilities for the elderly.
Collaboration by specialty faculty (gerontological, psychiatric
mental health, and community health nursing) on one campus
has led to the development of a Senior Nursing Clinic, which
is staffed by students and faculty and provides students
with personal experience in developing relationships with
older adults as health care professionals.
Honorable
Mentions
Sacred
Heart University, Nursing Programs and Physical Therapy
Program - Offering a unique curriculum that promotes
interdisciplinary collaboration among nursing, physical
therapy, and occupational therapy students, the university
provides students with the opportunity to investigate and
understand the health and wellness of older adults. The
baccalaureate curriculum includes an interdisciplinary minor
in geriatric health and wellness, which consists of two
required gerontology courses and four elective courses.
The courses explore the physical, psychosocial, spiritual,
and socio-cultural aspects of aging and the impact of ageism
on health care. An important component of the gerontologic
courses is clinical experience with older adults in assisted
living and extended care facilities and periodic meetings
with Hispanic elders as part of a Spanish language course
for health professionals.
Winston-Salem
State University, School of Health Sciences, Department
of Nursing - Since first initiating a gerontological
nursing course in 1992 as a requirement for all baccalaureate
nursing students, the university has continued to integrate
concepts of health promotion and disease prevention as they
relate to aging throughout the curriculum. The required
course emphasizes the role of the nurse in meeting the needs
of elder adults. In spring 2000, faculty tried a unique
approach to augment students' learning experiences; the
gerontological nursing course was held in a low-income community-housing
unit. Students had the opportunity to work side-by-side
with elder residents and to debunk myths and negative perspectives
about the aged and the aging process.
For
information and an application for the 2001 awards competition,
contact the Hartford Institute at 212-998-5568, or on the
World Wide Web at www.nyu.edu/education/nursing/hartford.institute.
Information is also available at AACN's Web site by clicking
here.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing is the national voice for university and four-year-college
education programs in nursing. Representing more than 580
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.
The
Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing is the only nurse-led
institute in the country to set a national agenda to shape
the quality of care for older Americans by promoting the
highest level of competency in the nurses who deliver that
care. The Institute identifies and develops best practices
in nursing care for older adults and practicing professional
nurses as well as every nursing student. Its training initiatives
cluster in education, practice, research, and policy and
consumer education.
###
CONTACT: Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
