Western University’s College of Graduate Nursing Receives Hartford
Foundation Grant to Create Web-based Geriatric Curriculum for Nurses
The College of Graduate Nursing at Western University has received a
$90,000 grant from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
and The John A. Hartford Foundation to develop new national standards for
educating advanced practice nurses in geriatric health care.
“”There is an increasing need for nurse practitioners in geriatric health
care because of the increasing number of geriatric patients in the US,””
said Karen Hanford, MSN, FNP, PA-C, dean of the College of Graduate
Nursing.
The college is developing a Generalist Geriatric Competencies Inventory-a
list of the skills all graduate nursing programs should require-to insure
that family nurse practitioners are able to care for geriatric patients.
The college will use this list to create Internet-based course work.
Western University’s College of Graduate Nursing teaches its students, who
live and work in 12 different states, almost entirely over the Internet.
“”Western University College of Graduate Nursing is taking a lead role by
defining innovative approaches to preparing nurses to care for older
adults,”” said Deidre Thornlow, MN, RN, AACN project director. “”The
competencies inventory they produce will be shared with schools of nursing
throughout the nation.””
The College of Graduate Nursing is one of 10 graduate schools to receive
funds. A total of 136 graduate and undergraduate schools applied. The
grants were made possible by The John A. Hartford Foundation, a private
philanthropy devoted to providing effective and affordable health care to
the nation’s growing elderly population.
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses, meaning they are trained
and licensed to perform minor surgical procedures, order and interpret
diagnostic and laboratory tests and prescribe medication. They are
sometimes the main medical care providers for people living in rural or
remote areas.
For more information on Western University’s College of Graduate Nursing
or its geriatric nursing education project, contact Dean Hanford at (909)
469-5523 or via e-mail at khanford@westernu.edu.