City council grant promotes geriatric training to health care professionals in all five boroughs

All staff development educators from hospitals, nursing homes and home care agencies in all five boroughs of New York City were invited to attend a meeting during the month of January to learn about useful training resources to improve their nurses' competency in the care of older adults. Supported by a NY City Council grant, the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, of the Division of Nursing at NYU, initiated this meeting to introduce the staff development educators to its Partners for Dissemination of Best Nursing Practices in Care for Older Adults Program.

In the Bronx, the meeting was hosted by Montefiore Medical Center and was attended by 13 staff developers. The facilities that attended were: Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Hebrew Hospital Home, Inc., Jewish Home & Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, Providence Rest Nursing Home, St. Patrick's Home, St. Vincent de Paul Residence and Westchester Square Medical Center.

In Brooklyn the meeting was hosted by The Brooklyn Hospital Center and 13 staff developers attended. The facilities that attended were: Brooklyn Hospital Center, Interfaith Medical Center, Ozanam Hall Nursing Home, St. Mary's Hospital of Brooklyn, Wyckoff Medical Center, The Schulman & Schachne Institute for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Home Health Management Services, Inc.

In Staten Island the meeting was hosted by Staten Island University Hospital and 6 staff developers attended. The facilities that attended were: Staten Island Hospital and Stella Orton Home Care Agency.

In Queens the meeting was hosted by Elmhurst Hospital Center and 17 staff developers attended. The facilities that attended were: Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Chaen Home for the Aging, Coler Goldwater Hospital & Nursing Facility, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Home Services Systems, Inc., Hospital for Special Surgery, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Mary Immaculate Hosptial, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care & Rehabilitation, Queens Hospital Center, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, St.John's Queens Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital.

In Manhattan the meeting was hosted by North General Hospital and 9 staff developers attended. The facilities that attended were: East Harlem Home Care, Greater Harlem Nursing Home Co. Inc., Harlem Hospital Center, Jewish Home & Hospital, Mary Manning Walsh Home, North General Hospital and Village Nursing Home.

Adequate training in caring for older adults is a crucial issue for all hospitals and nursing homes because the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), a national agency that accredits hospitals and nursing homes, requires that facilities demonstrate that their staff have "age-specific competency." This means that in order for a hospital or nursing home to be nationally accredited, they must show that they have trained their staff in how to best care for older adults.

During the meeting, all staff development educators were invited to become partners in the Hartford Institute program, Partners for Dissemination of Best Nursing Practices in Care for Older Adults, aimed at providing staff development educators with ready-made, user-friendly materials for training in geriatrics. "All health care professionals are important components in care for older adults and need to be adequately trained," said Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, Director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, "but it is nurses who provide the majority of care to older adults. They are at the bedside in hospitals, community clinics, homes and nursing homes."

"Although geriatric curriculum content is increasing in nursing schools, nurses currently working have been inadequately trained," said Terry Fulmer, RN, PhD,FAAN, Co-director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. "The responsibility of training falls to staff development educators. During this workshop, the Hartford Institute provided educators with comprehensive materials to help train their staff."

The grant to the Geriatric Programs at the Division of Nursing at NYU is one of a number of new initiatives the City Council has funded in the past several years designed to improve the quality of life of New York's senior citizens. Committee on Aging Chair Julia Harrison and I are very pleased to have had a role in making this vital program to train and sensitize health care staff to the special needs of older New Yorkers a reality," said Council Speaker Peter Vallone. "We look forward to a long relationship with the New York University geriatric education program, which has a well-earned reputation as a leader in its field."

For more information contact Elaine Gould at the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at 212-998-5568.