2001 First Place Award
Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing
Augusta, Georgia
Gerald Bennett, PhD, Acting Dean; Katherine Nugent, PhD, Associate Dean
Cathy Green, RN, MSN, RN-CS (Contact Faculty)
Phone: (706) 721-721-4794 Fax: (706) 721-1498 E-mail: cgreen@mail.mcg.edu
Abstract
While geriatric content is threaded throughout the total curriculum of The Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing, two courses (Nursing Care of the Mature Family and Nursing in Human Loss and Grieving) are devoted exclusively to gerontological nursing. Innovative didactic activities of the "Mature" and the "Grieving" courses included web sites, shared by the students and faculty on the main and satellite campuses. Utilizing the Hartford Institute curriculum content allowed faculty to share teaching strategies and information and to support each other. It also fostered interaction between students on both campuses. The varied N3204 clinical activities provided an opportunity for students to become familiar with the most significant health needs facing Georgia's older adults. Students develop and implement age-appropriate nursing interventions with older adults in the community-based clinicals. Students are often surprised by the significant health needs of this age group. The students have quickly identified that they have made a difference in the life of an older adult.
Innovation
The Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing has two content experts - a gerontological nurse researcher and a gerontological clinical nurse specialist - on its two campuses for generic undergraduate education. Both these faculty members collaborated on the didactic presentations so that students on both campuses had equal access to their pooled knowledge. Also, Advancing End-of-Life Nursing Care, 2001 is incorporated into the curriculum. The faculty and students from both campuses use the same password protected website which used templates to assured uniformity that included competencies, required readings, suggested readings, linked websites, case studies, and lecture notes.
Home Visits through Indigent Clinic: The School of Nursing contracts with a local indigent clinic, which is located in an under-served area to allow junior nursing students to make home visits to those persons who are not currently receiving skilled nursing through Medicare or Medicaid. Currently the nursing students are following approximately 40 clients. The nursing documentation was submitted electronically every week for review by clinical instructors, the physician and nurse practitioner and then filed in the client's permanent record at the Center.
Brown Bag Event: NUR 3204 hosted "Brown Bag Events" two Housing Authorities. These events brought older adult residents and nursing students together for a polypharmacy review and assistive device safety checks for anyone who wanted his or her cane/walker evaluated. The students observed a variety of gaits and discussed their observations with the faculty.
Quinn, Berding, Daniels, Gerlach, Harris, Nugent & Green (In press) described methods of teaching gerontological nursing from a new paradigm. Theoretical rationales and insight on how to develop meaningful clinical activities were highlighted. The sharing of this manuscript between campuses was also another way for faculty and students to interact across the sites.
Replication
The replication of this experience would begin with identifying an under-served area, having the support of a clinic or physician or nurse practitioner, getting home health care agencies and case management services advising the project, working out the timely reporting of information, meeting each client and/or caregiver, explaining the service, assessing the appropriateness of each client for the service, assigning faculty members who have many years in direct patient care and in problem solving given limited resources, and having input from future employers goes a long way in helping to create a learning environment that prepares nursing students to be ready to handle issues of the older adult.