Grant provides training for needed older adult care
East Carolina University’s College of Nursing has been awarded a $900,000, multi-year contract to help educate and train members of the regional health care workforce to more effectively care for older adults. The program is specifically focused on closing gaps in care and improving health outcomes for older adult populations, especially members of Native American tribes and those in underserved and rural primary care delivery areas.
Dr. Donna Roberson speaks about care for elderly patients during a podcast interview. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Dr. Donna Roberson, an ECU nursing professor, will lead ECU’s portion of the program along with clinical assistant professor Dr. Kimberly Delgado and Dr. Jean Matthews, a College of Nursing nurse consultant. The grant will fund outreach efforts through 2029.
The Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant, which Roberson’s team is supporting, was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration and is administered by Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead and Dr. Ellen Roberts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“This grant tasks us with integrating geriatric care with primary care and making a point to include the patient and their families in the care plan,” Roberson said. “I’m also very excited that the grant requires that part of our delivery focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) because our population is rapidly aging and we have to find ways to deal with the broad range of dementias that we are seeing in clinical spaces.”
The grant will help fund outreach efforts to promote healthy aging, dementia prevention and care of people living with dementia, as well as the education, training and certification of certified nursing assistants, certified medical assistants and home health care aides using the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioner programing.
The team will continue to provide Virtual Dementia Tour™ and Positive Approach to Care™ training to improve quality dementia care with health professional students, lay public and caregivers.
ECU undergraduate nursing students discuss a plan of care during a simulation involving care for an elderly patient at the College of Nursing. (Photo by Benjamin Abel)
“The Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program team is particularly excited about a unique contribution that promotes education of undergraduate nursing students in the care of older adults,” Roberson said. “We expect the programming will increase the number of new graduates from the ECU College of Nursing who choose employment in long-term care settings. Most students do not consider long-term care for their first employment as a nurse. Admittedly there is a negative connotation with nursing home care; however long-term care facilities are offering new nurses pay equal, or higher, to acute care agencies.”
Roberson said caring for older adults is rewarding, demand for skilled nursing care is high and BSN-prepared nurses are needed in clinical care leadership roles.
To help kickstart interest from nursing students, the College of Nursing will offer an independent study elective over the 11-week summer session each year of the grant. Following a competitive application process, five selected students will receive payment of tuition and fees associated with the course as well as a $1,000 stipend.
“Students who complete the course will be certified as a certified dementia practitioner, will receive focused training in older adult and dementia care, and clinical education in long-term care settings with expert long-term care faculty,” Roberson said. “This certification will make our students that much more valued once they graduate.”
The grant will not only benefit students, but ECU faculty members who take on the responsibility of developing clinical education opportunities in the long-term care environment. Selected faculty will receive $1,000 for professional development or continuing education.
“The goal is to have several clinical sections each semester for undergraduate BSN students conducted in long-term care facilities, providing focused care for older adults, which will hone basic nursing skills and hopefully promote a desire to practice in such settings upon graduation,” Roberson said.