2003 Awards For Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing

Awards for Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing 2003 Models of Excellence and Compendium of Previous Award Recipients

2003 Awards For Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing Purpose: To provide models of excellence that encourage the highest standards of gerontologic nursing education. To provide national recognition to those eligible schools or programs of nursing that exhibit an exceptional, substantive, and innovative baccalaureate curriculum in gerontologic nursing education. Awards: Geriatric Faculty Member Award Infusing Geriatrics into the Nursing Curriculum Award Stand-Alone Geriatric Course Award Clinical Settings in Geriatric Nursing Award Eligibility: Schools and programs of nursing that lead to a baccalaureate degree and offer a strong curriculum in gerontologic nursing are encouraged to apply. Reviewers will be looking for small, innovative programs, as well as larger, well-established curricula that can be showcased as proven models of excellence. Selection Criteria: Innovation of approach to gerontologic nursing education Demonstrated relevance in the clinical environment Replication for other schools/programs of nursing

Specific Selection Criteria Each Award GERIATRIC FACULTY MEMBER AWARD: Awarded to an individual faculty member involved in the teaching and/or design of geriatric curriculum or course content that: Demonstrates knowledge of geriatric nursing Encourages and inspires nursing students to further their studies in geriatric nursing, and seek Certification as a Gerontological Nurse Encourages and inspires nursing students to pursue a career in care for older adults INFUSING GERIATRICS INTO NURSING CURRICULUM AWARD: Awarded to a baccalaureate nursing curriculum that: Exhibits a substantive and/or innovative baccalaureate curriculum in geriatric nursing that includes healthy aging Includes key clinical information and issues central to caring for the highly specialized needs of older adults STAND-ALONE GERIATRIC COURSE AWARD: Awarded to a baccalaureate nursing stand-alone course that: Exhibits substantive and/or innovative baccalaureate curriculum in geriatric nursing that includes healthy aging Includes key clinical information and issues central to caring for the highly specialized needs of older adults CLINICAL SETTINGS IN GERIATRIC NURSING AWARD: Awarded to a baccalaureate program for innovative use of clinical settings that: Enhances the baccalaureate curriculum in geriatric nursing and encourages and inspires students to pursue a career in care for older adults Demonstrates true and innovative partnerships with clinical and community agencies or organizations Awards: $500 Showcase: Presentation at the AACN national meeting Curriculum summarized and distributed to nursing programs nationwide Involvement in Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing curriculum initiatives

2003 Awardees for Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing Geriatric Faculty Member Award Theris A. Touhy, ND, APRN, BC Florida Atlantic University Infusing Geriatrics into the Curriculum Award Biola University 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

1998-2002 Awards for Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing A compendium of previous award abstracts is available on the Hartford Institute web site at: http://www.hartfordign.org/awards/awardwinners.html 2002 Awards First Place: Texas Tech University Health Science Center Second Place: University Iowa College of Nursing Honorable Mention: Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing 2001 Awards First Place: The Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing Second Place: University of the Virgin Islands Honorable Mention: Wilkes University Department of Nursing 2000 Awards First Place: The Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing Second Place: University of Nebraska Medical Center - College of Nursing Honorable Mentions:* Sacred Heart University-Nursing Programs and Physical Therapy Program (Connecticut) Winston-Salem State University-School of Health Sciences Department of Nursing (North Carolina) 1999 Awards First Place: University of Akron, College of Nursing (Ohio) Second Place:* University of Maryland, School of Nursing University of North Carolina Greensboro, School of Nursing Honorable Mentions:* San Diego State University, School of Nursing University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Nursing University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing 1998 Awards First Place: Minnesota State University, Mankato School of Nursing Second Place:* University of Alabama in Huntsville College of Nursing University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Eleanor Mann School of Nursing University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Honorable Mentions:* (* Listed in alphabetical order) Quinnipiac College Department of Nursing Radford University School of Nursing -- Waldron College of Health and Human Services

2003 Geriatric Faculty Member Award Theris A. Touhy, ND, APRN, BC Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida Anne Boykin, PhD, RN, Dean Theris M. Touhy, ND, APRN, BC, Associate Professor Phone: (561) 297-2535 Fax: (561) 297-3652 E-mail: ttouhy@fau.edu Fostering Students to Further Their Studies in Geriatric Nursing. 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. As one of the students recently said, I have always worked in nursing home and loved older people. I was a bit afraid to share this with fellow students since it did not seem as worthy a specialty as others were choosing. Then I heard Dr. Touhy present her research on spiritual care in nursing homes and I realized that there was a whole area of specialization in nursing where I could pursue my interest in care of older adults. 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. Two faculty in the College of Nursing and many students have worked as Research Assistants and Project Faculty on her research studies. With the shortage of prepared gerontological nursing faculty, the idea of growing your own has been fostered under Dr. Touhy s leadership. Dr. Touhy 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. Knowledge of Geriatric Nursing. Dr. Touhy is an expert gerontological nurse ANCC certified as a Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist, licensed ARNP in the state of Florida. She has been a Clinical Nurse Specialist in long-term care in nursing homes and at West Palm Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center. She provides consultation and education to LTC facilities and to local community groups and programs serving older adults on topics such as Aesthetics of Aging, Healthy Aging, Creating Caring Communities in Nursing Homes, Spiritual Care at the End-of-Life in Nursing Homes, Fall Prevention, Managing Medications, Sleep Disorders, Best Practice Geriatric Care, The Joy and Suffering of Alzheimer s Disease, and Therapeutic Interventions in Alzheimer s Disease. She also participated in the design and development of the Louis and Anne Green Alzheimer s Research, Education and Care Center in the College, funded by private donors and the Administration on Aging and The Retirement Research Foundation, developed and leads a Story Creation Group and Wisdom Circle group for people with mild to m oderate memory loss, and designed/conducted training for Center staff and volunteers. She is currently an investigator for a study being conducted in the Center on the effectiveness of a pilot program of therapeutic activities in early stage memory loss, as well as a study exploring cultural diversity in nursing homes. She recently completed a 15 month project to develop a caring based unit in a skilled nursing facility. Awards include (1998) Marie Haug Award for Excellence in Aging Research at Case Western Reserve University for research Hope, spirituality and connectedness with others among institutionalized elders and (2001) ANF Hildegard Peplau Scholar Award for Spirituality and Care of Dying Nursing Home Residents.

2003 Infusing Geriatrics in Nursing Curriculum Biola University Department of Baccalaureate Nursing La Mirada, California Rebekah L. Fleeger, PhD, RN, Chair Department of Baccalaureate Nursing Cheryl Zukerberg, PhD, RN, C, PHN, MSN, GNP (Contact Faculty) Phone: (562) 903-4850 Fax: (562) 903-4803 E-mail: cheryl.zukerberg@biola.edu Abstract. The gerontologic nursing curriculum is integrated throughout the nursing students three years of clinical nursing. Specific objectives in the nursing courses provide students an opportunity 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: (1) healthy aging; (2) assessment; (3) pathophysiology of acute and chronic diseases; (4) treatment and nursing interventions; (5) advocacy, (6) development of family and community resources; and (7) ethical, legal, and end-of-life issues that confront older adults and caregivers. By graduation students have spent many hours with both healthy older adults and those with compromised health. In addition, they 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, before and after completing this curriculum, have shown increased positive attitudes toward older adults and increased interest in providing nursing care for older adults. Innovation. A faculty member who is a geriatric nurse practitioner, certified by the ANCC as a gerontological nurse, and holds a PhD with a focus on gerontological development initiated this new curriculum because of concern related to deficits in the quality of nursing care provided for older adults. Student enthusiasm is high when working with older adults because of the variety of activities designed for experiential learning with older adults at various points along the illness wellness continuum. This curriculum gives students a sense of power in their ability to make positive changes for older adults through use of the advocacy role. The curriculum develops students abilities to educate older adults in how to be active participants in their health care, providing older adults with tools, which empower them to make informed decisions. Use of selected Scriptures helps students relate to the religious perceptions of older adults, thus increasing quality of spiritual assessment and care. Students get in touch with their own aging process and gain understanding of their parents and grand parents aging processes through a variety of roleplaying activities. These include experiencing cognitive impairment and using adaptive equipment for functional deficits. As graduates, these students will be working with clients who have been through and/or are currently impacted by war. The Greatest Generation Project increases their awareness of the short and long term effects of war, the trauma of war, relationships during war time, impact on the emotional well-being of older adults and their families, and increases students ability to assess signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, to better understand the impact of PTSS on older adults and their families, and to make referrals as needed. Students participating in this curriculum also reported increased understanding and knowledge of (1) healthy aging; (2) ways to meet the needs of older adults; (3) signs and symptoms of problems that require medical attention; (4) community resources; (5) the need to decrease stress through open communication about their own needs; and (6) utilization of respite care. Replication. A committed faculty member with administrative support and expertise in geriatric nursing can easily replicate the curriculum. No advance technology or expensive equipment is needed. The spiritual approaches could be replicated in programs with Judeo-Christian worldviews or modified to accommodate other worldviews.

2003 Infusing Geriatrics in Nursing Curriculum New York University, The Steinhardt School of Education, Division of Nursing New York, New York Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, Head Division of Nursing Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, APRN, BC (Contact Faculty) Phone: (212) 992-9417 Fax: (212) 992-1697 E-mail: aqd7502@nyu.edu 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. Innovation. Utilizing The John A Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing s Partners for Dissemination of Best Nursing Practices in Care of Older Adults Baccalaureate Nursing Program Implementation Manual s (2001) Curriculum Mapping Exercise faculty began examining each of the six clinical nursing courses to create a baseline of gerontological content and have continued to refine the six core clinical courses utilizing gero-content tools created for each of the six clinical nursing course to assist faculty in identifying areas for gero-content enhancement, establishing gero-infusion goals, and monitoring geroenhancing content activities. A faculty program systematically provides all faculty teaching in the baccalaureate program with the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate gero-content includes specific strategies such as attendance by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and full time faculty at Gerontologizing the Baccalaureate Curriculum pre-conference at AACN Baccalaureate Conference, inclusion of geriatric content at faculty retreat and adjunct orientation, nursing lab manager completing Hartford On-line gero-review course and planning to sit for gerontological certification. Faculty developed course content modules that support integration of geriatric and gero-psychiatric theoretical and experiential content into traditional clinical courses. Examples include: (1) NYUDON initiated a collaborative project with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Office of Chronic Disease Prevention s Senior Wellness Program providing comprehensive health promotion services directly to culturally diverse, under-served seniors through selected New York City Housing Authority senior centers, (2) NYU nursing students collect data for the Senior Exercise Self-Efficacy Pilot Project (SESEP), a research intervention assessing the effectiveness of exercise and self-efficacy training to promote physical activity in seniors, an opportunity to learn first-hand about the design and implementation of community-based public health research. SESEP fosters application of knowledge from the prior nursing theory course. NYU nursing faculty has collaborated with Barbara Resnick PhD, CRNP. FAAN, FAANP, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, (3) The Senior Mentor Program is the central program that integrates geriatric and gero-psychiatric theoretical and experiential content throughout the six core clinical nursing courses, (4) One course rotates 100% of the students to a long-term care (LTC) setting for three clinical days, using a LTC worksheet to facilitate learning LTC issues, policies, and broader nursing workforce issues. Students are challenged to strategize how nursing care may be optimized across the LTC-acute care continuum, and (5) Students in the traditional Medical Surgical course now have one-day rotations with community hospice and/or Visiting Nurse Service. This opportunity, once again, allows students to compare and contrast the health care issues surrounding older adults in a variety of health care settings. Replication. Key is establishment of gero-content baseline and plan for enhancement, utilizing Best Nursing Practices in Care of Older Adults for curriculum development, and developing partnerships in diverse clinical settings extending beyond the traditional hospital clinical experience. NYUDON s successful strategies included: one faculty gero-champion led compiling and evaluating clinical nursing course syllabi, performing individual 1:1 faculty mentoring, and presenting outcomes at faculty meetings.

2003 Clinical Settings in Geriatric in Nursing University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing Little Rock, Arkansas Linda Hodges, EdD, RN, Chair Department of Baccalaureate Nursing Sheila Collier, EdD, RN (Contact Faculty) Phone: (501) 686-6268 Fax: (501) 686-8350 E-mail: sgcollier@uams.edu 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. Innovation. Students now care for older adults in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, including frail elderly and their community dwelling caregivers. Community Health and Gerontologic Nursing faculty collaborated with the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Reynolds Center on Aging to provide an opportunity for students to participate in a House Calls Program in which students were assigned older adults and their caregivers as clients. After participating in House Calls Program, students expressed changes in their view of older adults, and indicated a desire to work with older adults following graduation. The didactic component of the older adult course occurs in both the traditional classroom and WebCT modules via Internet. Topics include demographics, theories of aging, communication, physical and functional assessment, acute and chronic illness/disease management, pharmacotherapeutics, nutrition, mobility, death and dying, elimination, sexuality, and ethics. The role of the gerontological nurse is addressed in each unit. Papers and oral presentations conclude with a student reflection upon the value of the assignment to their learning. Classroom activities include case studies, vignettes, films, guest speakers including geriatric pharmacist from the UAMS Center on Aging, and assigned use of Internet sites to gather demographic information, governmental resources, and reliable information regarding topics on aging. Students demonstrate physical and functional assessment skills with appropriate use of standardized screening tools, and the development of age-appropriate goals, therapeutic interventions, and in-depth care planning for older adults. Two specialty clinical experiences, Pennebaker Adult Day Health Center and Arkansas Hospice Inpatient Facility, provide students the opportunity to communicate with older adults experiencing cognitive decline and or needing endof-life care, and nurse managed ambulatory care clinic that provides services to four local subsidized high rises for the elderly. While at the nurse managed clinic students are active in health prevention and promotion, participating in such activities as blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, and provided influenza vaccinations. Students assisted with fall-prevention program, an initiative sponsored by UAMS Center on Aging. Older residents of the four high-rise residences received risk assessments and teaching on preventing falls. Older adults who were identified at high risk for falling had home safety assessments. Students also identified older adults having difficulty paying for medications for referral to Pharmaceutical Prescription Assistance Program (Drug Share Program) sponsored by Pfizer, Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline. Students can attend Interdisciplinary Geriatric Grand Rounds in which current research and clinical practice issues are presented through UAMS Reynolds Center on Aging. An interdisciplinary focus is enhanced by specialty clinical experiences at Arkansas Veterans Hospital and Arkansas Hospice where students attend interdisciplinary team (IDT) conferences. Replication. Replication of this curricular innovation requires faculty who are committed to caring for older adults and are amenable to collaborating between courses. This preparation requires knowledge of assessment skills and therapeutic interventions for older individuals as well as family needs and community resources. Ideally, student clinical experiences such as this would occur between two courses such as Community Health and Nursing Care of the Older Adult. When both courses run concurrently, sharing the assignments decreases the workload for students. The availability of a medical director or advanced practice nurse to recommend client assignments and to act as liaison between students and clients is most helpful. Alternatively, a partnership with a community or home health agency could facilitate this type of innovation.

2003 Stand-Alone Baccalaureate Geriatric Nursing Course University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, North Carolina Lynne G. Pearcey, PhD, RN, Dean Beth Barba, PhD, RN (Contact Faculty) Phone: (336) 334-5217 Fax: (336) 334-3628 E-mail: beth_barba@uncg.edu 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. Innovation. Service learning occurs in four Senior Health Centers run by faculty: GNP students, and undergraduate generic and RN-BSN students are utilized as clinical sites. Other innovative clinical sites include continuing care retirement communities, adult day care, residential and home hospice, public health resources, home health agencies, acute and community settings, and community service providers. Required courses at the senior level indicate the faculty s understanding of the complexity of geriatric health care. Course requirements include term paper topic choices such as ethical issues arising from student s gerontological experiences, analyses of services in the aging network, and multicultural and economic issues in aging. Students are made aware of Internet resources for current information on aging issues by specific world wide web sites including government, professional organizations, centers of excellence, and commercial. Various computer assisted instruction and interactive videodisc activities are used. The RN-BSN course is primarily web-based. In this course, cooperative learning strategies are used to provide active, diverse, rich learning activities. Student groups compose and interpret poetry about aging issues, view and discuss popular films about aging issues, complete advance directives for themselves and family members, observe older adults grocery shopping, visit museums, reflect on colleagues caring for older adults, and reflect on clinical experiences when diversity has impacted care. A variety of activities facilitate student learning by challenging prior misconceptions about aging and aging services, providing experiences with elders and analyzing the current state of geriatric knowledge. Students evaluation comments included: The (gerontology) course made me aware of the special needs of older adults, particularly that the older person might present differently when sick than a younger person would.i think the most important thing I gained from this course is that the issues facing older adult patients, along with the normal changes of aging being experienced, require me to approach my care with patience, understanding, and empathy. Replication. The activities chosen for the classroom and clinical components are replicable by other undergraduate nursing programs. Course objectives, competencies and content are based on AACN s and Hartford Institute s Older Adults: Recommended Baccalaureate Competencies and Curricular Guidelines for Geriatric Nursing Care (July 2000). Most changes did not require much more than a shift in thinking on the part of the School of Nursing faculty. Once the faculty realized that older adult patients are the future of nursing practice, and that older adult patients are the majority of patients, the curricular changes became an imperative. Individual consultation and support from faculty with gerontological expertise should be provided. Since older adults are the primary patient/client population, creative clinical experiences can easily be arranged. The trick is the shift in emphasis toward geriatric competencies. The School of Nursing faculty disseminates activities related to gerontological curricular innovations widely to the larger community at national, state, regional and local levels including presentations at Gerontological Society of America, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education annual meeting, Southern Gerontological Society, and North Carolina League for Nursing annual conference.

Common Elements of Baccalaureate Curriculum Models of Excellence 1. Free-standing courses 2. Multiple clinical sites 3. Creative uses of clinical sites 4. Experiential teaching techniques in classroom and clinical settings 5. Partnerships with community resources 6. Faculty knowledgeable and committed in geriatric nursing care 7. Integration of gerontologic experiences into overall curriculum

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for America's baccalaureate and higher-degree nursing education programs. American Association of Colleges of Nursing One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 463-6930 - Fax: (202) 785-8320 www.aacn.nche.edu The Hartford Institute for Geriatric 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 John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing New York University, The Steinhardt School of Education Division of Nursing 246 Greene Street New York, NY 10003 Phone: (212) 998-9018 - Fax: (212) 995-4561 www.hartfordign.org Generously supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, Inc. of NY