Online course now includes the latest evidence-based practice content
NICHE Contact: Barbara Bricoli | 212-992-9753 | barbara.bricoli@nyu.edu
Online course now includes the latest evidence-based practice content
New York University College of Nursing's NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) announces the release of the 2nd edition of the Introduction to Gerontology curriculum, a web-based course designed to increase hospital personnel's sensitivity to the aging process, improve the recognition of age-related changes in older adult patients, and enhance communication skills with older patients and their families. This updated 2nd edition now contains the latest evidence-based practice content, and is designed for easier access and navigation.
The four Introduction to Gerontology course modules address issues relevant to all hospital personnel who come in contact with the largest health care consumer group — adults 65-and-older:
• Age-related changes
• Sensory changes
• Aging sensitivity
• Communication
The Introduction to Gerontology curriculum is part of the NICHE Core Curriculum, which also includes the Geriatric Patient Care Associate (GPCA) curriculum for patient care associates and the Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) curriculum for clinical nurses. Combined, these curricula enable educators to deliver a comprehensive education program of evidence-based geriatric nursing care in their hospital.
“As late as 2005, 31 percent of new RNs received baccalaureate degrees, but only one-third of the BA programs required a course focused on geriatrics,” says Marie Boltz, Ph.D., RN, GNP-BC, associate director, Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, Practice Initiatives. “Add to this the fact that less than one percent of RNs are certified in geriatrics, and the need for the NICHE gerontology course is very evident.”
The completed course provides five contact hours. The course can be accessed by NICHE hospitals in the online NICHE Knowledge Center at http://www.nicheprogram.org/courses/118.
The NICHE Knowledge Center houses an extensive portfolio of tools and resources for health care providers, organizations, and consumers to use in improving quality of care and patient outcomes for older adults.
About NICHE
NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. A program of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University College of Nursing, 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 health care facilities to achieve patient-centered care for older adults.
For more information visit www.nicheprogram.org. Follow us on Twitter: @NICHEProgram