Hospitals drive higher quality care for older adults with participation in LTP; Registration information for the six-week, online LTP starting February 11, 2013 is available at http://nicheprogram.org/LTP.

NICHE Announces February 2013 Leadership Training Program

NICHE Contact: Barbara Bricoli | 212-992-9753 | barbara.bricoli@nyu.edu

Hospitals drive higher quality care for older adults with participation in LTP

NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) announces the opening of registration for the February 2013 Leadership Training Program (LTP). The LTP provides an interdisciplinary hospital team with the tools and resources to begin the process of increasing the quality of care for older adult patients at their facility and achieving NICHE designation. Registration information for the six-week, online LTP starting February 11, 2013 is available at http://nicheprogram.org/LTP.

"A distinguishing feature of NICHE is that unlike other programs it does not stipulate how institutions should modify geriatric care; rather, it provides the materials and services necessary to stimulate and support the planning, implementation and evaluation process. NICHE principles and tools are meant to be adapted to each sites’ unique institutional culture. It is not merely a collection of useful resources but it is the online community that supports discussion of how to utilize these resources that are valued by members," according to Liz Capezuti, PhD, RN, FAAN, director - NICHE, Dr. John W. Rowe Professor in Successful Aging, New York University College of Nursing.

The LTP offers a blended learning approach where participants engage in a rigorous six-week program delivered via a web-based platform and facilitated by the NICHE team, including mentors who currently lead or have led NICHE programs in their hospitals. The online program was launched in 2009 to replace the annual conference-based program. Since its inception, over 365 hospitals and more than 795 individuals have participated in the online program. NICHE has over 400 hospitals and health care facilities throughout North America.

Leadership Training Program participants:

• Engage in online activities complemented by practice-based assignments

• Participate in live webinars

• Work with NICHE faculty who facilitate online discussion forums and webinars, answer questions, and share experiences

• Participate in a mentoring program

• Earn 38 contact hours for continuing education credit

• Receive assistance by a NICHE expert to develop a hospital action plan

Three people responsible for steering the NICHE initiative at the facility should attend the LTP session. This typically includes a nurse clinician leader, a clinical educator, and an administrator or quality manager. NICHE designated hospitals can also use this opportunity to train additional staff for their NICHE team.

The Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile, an extensive web-based assessment of the hospital’s readiness to implement geriatric programs, is included in the program at no cost. Participating hospitals also receive registration fees for one participant to attend the pre-conference workshops at the annual conference and discounts for attendance at the annual three-day NICHE conference.

Upon designation as a NICHE facility, hospitals pay an annual designation fee that includes access to a vast array of resources, ongoing evaluation tools, professional mentoring, and access to the NICHE community.

About NICHE

NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is an international program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. The vision of NICHE is for all patients 65-and-over to be given sensitive and exemplary care. The mission of NICHE is to provide principles and tools to stimulate a change in the culture of healthcare facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE, based at NYU College of Nursing, consists of over 400 hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout North America. For more information visit www.nicheprogram.org.

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Press Contact

Christopher James
Christopher James
(212) 998-6876