Faculty Institute For Gerontological Nursing: a partnership for clinical education in long-term care

Autor: Irene Campbell, Carolyn R. Blanks, Laurie Herndon, Lisa M Abdallah, Karen Devereaux Melillo
Rok vydání: 2012
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nursing education perspectives. 33(3)
ISSN: 1536-5026
Popis: MASSACHUSETTS, ALONG WITH MANY STATES, HAS RECOGNIZED THE IMPERATIVE TO ADDRESS CURRENT AND IMPENDING SHORTAGES IN THE LONG-TERM CARE (LTC) NURSING WORKFORCE. approximately 8 percent of licensed nursing positions are vacant, including more than 1,200 registered nurse (rn) and licensed practical nurse (Lpn) positions (Massachusetts Senior Care association, 2011). the shortage has been exacerbated by the rise in subacute care and the overall medical complexity of resident populations. providers have difficulty attracting nurses to the LtC sector. A statewide conference in June 2009, involving nurse leaders from education, LtC, home health practice, and policy, led to collaboration between the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation (MSCF) and the nursing program at the university of Massachusetts Lowell (uML) to offer an annual Faculty institute in Gerontological nursing (FiGn) to increase the state's capacity to educate nurses who are better prepared to provide quality care for older adults in LtC settings. For the first institute, applications were distributed in January 2011 to all nursing programs in the state; selection of qualified individuals and notification was made by april; and the institute was held in august. applicants were asked to identify a project related to nursing education and the utilization of LtC settings that could be implemented within one year following completion of the FiGn. Eligibility criteria included a full-time or part-time faculty position at a baccalaureate, associate degree, diploma, or practical nursing program; an application showing evidence of interest in educating nursing students in geriatric nursing care; a resume or curriculum vitae; and a letter of recommendation from the dean, chair, or program director. Ten nurse faculty, representing various nursing programs, were selected to participate via a peer review process. the program was free and participants received a $500 stipend and continuing education credit. participants were paired with a FiGn mentor who agreed to be available as participants implemented their projects during the course of the school year. This article describes how the FiGn used strategies to make geriatric care attractive to nursing students. Effectiveness was evaluated via the Eldercare Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale (Shellman, 2006) before and after the institute. this scale was developed to measure levels of confidence in providing culturally competent care to elders of four ethnic groups (african american, Latino/Hispanic, asian american, and white). With projections for greater diversity among nursing home populations, as well as the diversity represented by the LtC direct care workforce, this is vital knowledge for nurses. descriptive statistics revealed an increase in all ethnic group subscales following participation, with a mean pre- FiGn score of 3.2192 (SD = .630) and post-score of 3.9512 (SD = .476). participants were also asked to respond to an open-ended question on the personal impact of the FiGn and its impact on their project plans. participants are surveyed quarterly for one year about progress with their projects and the benefits of mentoring. university institutional review approval was received to conduct the evaluation. Days 1 and 2 the FiGn objectives were to provide participants with: a) enhanced knowledge in geriatric nursing care; b) an understanding of the LtC practice setting and its role in the continuum of care; c) awareness of innovative state research projects and partnerships in LtC settings; d) partnership opportunities with LtC facilities for future clinical placements and collaborative teaching opportunities for nursing students; and e) tools and resources to incorporate knowledge gained into future classroom and clinical teaching experiences with nursing students. The first two days, which took place at the MSCF office, were devoted to fostering dialogue and interaction among the participants. …
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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