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Hartford
Institute and American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Honor Nursing Schools for Innovations in Geriatric Education
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 12, 2004 -- The John A. Hartford
Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, in collaboration
with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN),
is pleased to announce the winners of the 2003 Awards for
Exceptional Baccalaureate Curriculum in Gerontologic Nursing.
Presented at AACN's fall meeting, awards were given to five
schools of nursing this year: Biola University (CA), Florida
Atlantic University, New York University, University of Arkansas
for the Medical Sciences and University of North Carolina
at Greensboro.
"We
are delighted to honor nursing schools at the forefront of
preparing students through outstanding geriatric curricula
and innovative programs," said AACN President Kathleen
Ann Long, PhD, APRN, FAAN. "The 2003 winners should be
proud of their contributions to geriatric care which serve
as shining examples for other schools to follow."
Now in
its sixth year, this national awards program was created to
recognize model baccalaureate programs in nursing with a strong
focus on gerontological nursing. Awards were presented to
nursing programs that exhibit exceptional, substantive, and
innovative baccalaureate curriculum in this subject area.
Beyond innovation, programs must also demonstrate relevance
in the clinical environment and have the ability to be replicated
at schools of nursing across the country.
For the
first time this year, awards were presented in four separate
categories:
- Geriatric
Faculty Member Award
Theris A. Touhy, ND, APRN, BC, Florida Atlantic University
- Infusing
Geriatrics into the Curriculum Award
Biola University (CA) and New York University
- Clinical
Settings in Geriatric Nursing Award
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Stand-Alone
Baccalaureate Geriatric Course Award
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
"In
the interest of better serving our aging population, U.S.
nursing schools are moving to adapt curriculum, add coursework
and enhance faculty development to better prepare the nursing
workforce to care for older adults," added Dr. Long.
"We are delighted to join with the Hartford Institute
in honoring curriculum leaders and sharing their examples
with the world."
Curricula
and geriatric care models advanced by the 2003 winners have
been summarized and distributed to nursing programs nationwide.
Winning abstracts are also available online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/AwardWinners.pdf.
For an application for the 2004 awards competition, contact
the Hartford Institute at (212) 998-5568 or via their Web
site at http://www.hartfordign.org.
The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, proudly housed
at the Division of Nursing, The Steinhardt School of Education
of New York University, 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. http://www.hartfordign.org.
The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national
voice for university and four-year college education programs
in nursing. Representing 575 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
Profile of the 2003 Award Winners
2003
Geriatric Faculty Member Award
Theris A. Touhy, ND, APRN, BC, Florida Atlantic University
Profile.
Dr. Touhy has been inspiring, mentoring, and teaching students
how to be expert gerontological nurses for 23 years at Florida
Atlantic University. She is passionate about the specialty
and communicates that passion to students, practicing nurses,
community groups, and national and international nursing organizations.
Dr. Touhy's knowledge and experience in care of older adults,
long-term care, and care of people with dementia, assists
students in learning about and appreciating the breadth and
depth of the specialty of gerontological nursing. As is evident
in the supporting letters from students and in her yearly
evaluations, many students have been mentored by her and have
chosen to go on for further study in gerontological nursing.
Over the years, she has worked with several students in the
baccalaureate program to design their 225 hour preceptorship
in gerontological nursing, connecting them with expert gerontological
nurses in the community for mentoring. She is a frequent lecturer
on gerontological nursing in many of the nursing courses.
About half of the students who have completed the master's
program in gerontological nursing in the College were recruited,
mentored, and taught by Dr. Touhy. She is currently designing
a project to establish a Gerontological Nursing Scholars Program
in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. The proposal
includes scholarship support for two junior students who will
have experiences in their clinical courses in acute care and
community nursing directed toward care of older adults, participate
in research with the gerontological nursing faculty, and complete
a 225 hour preceptorship in gerontological nursing. As part
of this program, the College will partner with four local
nursing homes to develop Centers of Excellence in Long Term
Caring. Each student will be mentored by an expert gerontological
nurse in the community as well as a gerontological nursing
faculty. Dr. Touhy is also working with a gerontological nursing
faculty in Scotland to develop international video conferencing
and student and faculty exchanges.
2003
Infusing Geriatrics into the Curriculum Award
Biola University (CA)
Rebekah L. Fleeger, PhD, RN, Chair, Department of Baccalaureate
Nursing
Cheryl Zukerberg, PhD, RN, C, PHN, MSN, GNP, Faculty Contact
Abstract.
The gerontologic nursing curriculum is integrated throughout
the three years of clinical nursing. Students learn to understand
and appropriately handle the needs of older adults living
in the community or located in acute care or long-term care
facilities. First year students focus on developmental content
related to older adults. Clinical practice in acute care settings
allows students to recognize the importance of treating each
older adult as a unique person with individual needs. In the
second year, a core gerontological nursing course provides
experiences using different nursing roles and settings. Students
help older adults adapt and cope with the spiritual, physical,
social, financial, and emotional changes that come with aging.
They care for frail older adults who are further compromised
by multisystem failures. The gerontologic curriculum focuses
on healthy aging; assessment; pathophysiology of acute and
chronic diseases; treatment and nursing interventions; advocacy;
development of family and community resources; and ethical,
legal, and end-of-life issues that confront older adults and
caregivers. By graduation students will have worked at least
eight times in faculty run nursing clinics with older adults
who are homeless and four times in cross-cultural experiences
with older adults in faculty run nursing clinics in Mexico.
Students have repeatedly verbalized the differences they have
made in the lives of older adults and the impact older adults
have made on their lives. All graduates of this program are
equipped with the comprehensive gerontological nursing skills
necessary to work with older adults in a wide variety of health
care settings. Surveys of students have shown increased positive
attitudes toward older adults and increased interest in providing
nursing care for older adults.
2003
Infusing Geriatrics into the Curriculum Award
New York University, The Steinhardt School of Education, Division
of Nursing
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, Head Division of Nursing
Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, APRN, BC, Faculty Contact
Abstract.
New York University's Division of Nursing (NYUDON) has substantially
increased both the quantity and quality of gerontological
theoretical and experiential content since January 2002. Utilizing
both Gerontological Nursing Content Mapping (The Hartford
Institute's Best Nursing Practices in Care of Older Adults
Curriculum Guide, 2001 ) and Baseline and Enhancing Gerontological
Content Tools NYUDON faculty identified areas requiring additional
gerontological emphasis and have been measuring successful
outcomes of gero-enhancing strategies. NYU curriculum includes
a stand-alone gerontological nursing course and systematic
integration of gerontological nursing content throughout six
undergraduate clinical nursing courses.
2003 Clinical Settings in Geriatric Nursing Award
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Linda Hodges, EdD, RN, Chair, Department of Baccalaureate
Nursing
Sheila Collier, EdD, RN, Faculty Contact
Abstract.
The University Of Arkansas Medical Sciences College Of Nursing
offers a curriculum that emphasizes health promotion and health
prevention in addition to illness/disease management of older
adults. The course, Nursing Care of the Older Adult, focuses
on the health needs of older adults in community, ambulatory,
rehabilitative, acute, long-term care, and end of life settings.
Placement of the Nursing Care of the Older Adult course as
a semester long offering at the senior level and concurrent
with the Community Health Nursing course provides students
with a global view of the needs of older adults in diverse
settings. The didactic component of the older adult course
occurs in both the traditional classroom and Web based modules
via the Internet. The clinical component of the course consists
of 90 clinical hours with older adults in diverse settings.
2003 Stand-Alone Baccalaureate Geriatric Course Award
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Lynne G. Pearcey, PhD, RN, Dean
Beth Barba, PhD, RN, Faculty Contact
Abstract.
The gerontological nursing curriculum at The University of
North Carolina at Greensboro prepares student nurses to provide
high-quality care to older adults and their families across
settings. Geriatric content is integrated throughout the curriculum
and prior learning is concentrated in two required courses
at senior level and two elective courses. Stand-alone gerontology
courses have been required in the UNCG curriculum since 1986-1987.
Both the generic and RN-BSN curricula include required gerontological
courses and clinical experiences that combine gerontology,
community, and leadership. Faculty in the didactic courses
are prepared at the graduate level and are certified as advanced
practice gerontological nurses. At least 25% of faculty teaching
in the clinical courses have educational or experiential gerontological
expertise. Other teaching faculty are attending faculty development
sessions on geriatric nursing issues and receive consultation
on teaching strategies.
# # #
CONTACT: Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
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