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Health and Hospital Corporation
In 2010, HHC employees have a special opportunity to take the Geriatric Scholar Certificate Program for $100 or $30 per individual training.
Pilot Project Summary
In 2009, the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (Hartford Institute), in conjunction with the Corporate Nursing Department, New York City Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC-Nursing) conducted a Pilot Project to enhance competence in care of older adults of nurses working in HHC facilities. This Pilot project was partially funded by the New York City Department for the Aging, and by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
Background
The 21 acute care hospitals, clinics, and nursing home facilities of the New York City, the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) care for 1.3 million of the city’s poorest citizens and its legal and illegal immigrants. It also assumes a large burden of health care for New York’s older adults. In Fiscal Year 2009, to date, HHC has cared for 176,000+ patients 60 years of age and over, of whom 49% were 70 and over.In HHC facilities, 8,000 RNs that are in the forefront of this care, whether chronic or acute, in ambulatory or inpatient settings. RNs at HHC are highly interested in expanding their knowledge and expertise in the care of the older adults. Yet, almost non of these nurses have had specific training and education in care of older adults. This mirrors national data that <1% of RNs are certified in geriatrics.
Pilot Project Details
Pilot Project Program; The Pilot project offered eight (8) full day geriatric education programs that conformed to the NYCGEC requirements of core and elective courses.
o Educational programs were focused on clinical issues of concern to nurses, e.g. falls, urinary incontinence, pressure ulcers (content of the educational program appended in the Evaluation Report).
o Classes focused on content that would prepare nurses to sit for the examination of the American Nurses Credentialing Center for Certification in Gerontological Nursing.
o Nurses completing five educational programs (50 hours of training) were eligible for the Certificate of Completion from the NYGEC
Pilot Project Attendance by HHC nurses: The Pilot programs were completed with 154 unique nursing participants.
Forty eight (48) program participants completed 5 or more sessions, and received a Certificate of Completion from the NYCGEC.
All of the 11 HHC hospitals and 4 HHC nursing homes sent nurses for full participation in the program. This required financial commitment from the facilities to provide “back-fill” nursing coverage to allow these nurses to be released from their day-to-day clinical responsibilities.
The preference for a cohort of nurses rather than random attendance at events represents a shift of emphasis on the part of HHC from our original plan, and represents a strong commitment on the part of corporate nursing to provide in-depth training to nurses in the hope of having them share information back at their facilities and perhaps to encourage the nurses to sit for the nursing certification exam. This works well within the concept of the project as a Pilot Program.
HHC committed significant administrative staff who helped organize, facilitate registration, and attend the events, duplicating many resource materials, providing continuing education credits and breakfast and lunches.
Pilot Project Evaluation Report:
The evaluation, including focus groups with nurses as to the clinical relevance of the educational program and resources, has been completed (see appended Evaluation Report).
Institutions and Project Investigator
College of Nursing, New York University
Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, PI