Twenty-three Nebraska nurses have been selected to enroll in a gerontologic nursing course through the Midwest Geriatric Nursing Quality Improvement program. The course is part of a $500,000, two-year grant to improve care in regional long-term care facilities.
The 10-week course taken through the Internet, which will begin in January, will help registered nurses employed in long-term care facilities develop knowledge and clinical competence in care of the elderly. It also will prepare them for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Gerontological Nurse Certification exam. Passing the exam demonstrates the highest level of excellence in geriatric nursing care.
Over the next two years, the course will be offered four times. The grant also offers a nurse executive educational program to develop leadership and management skills for nurse managers and administrators employed in long-term care facilities.
The Vetter Foundation of Nebraska is the lead foundation for the grant and the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing is the lead organizational partner.
The grant is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation’s Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future program, a unique national initiative to help address the long-term shortage of nurses across the country. The RWJF and NWHF matched $250,000 in funds raised by the University of Nebraska Foundation through 13 local funding partners.
Listed below are participating registered nurses and the participating facility.
Alliance — Deb Shinn, Vetter Health Services
David City — Dan Smith, Vetter Health Services
Elkhorn — Shelley Bang, Rogers Beins, Vicki Blackwell, Terri Ernesti, Peggy Fairbanks,
Alan McVay, Roxanne Smith and Shari Terry, Vetter Health Services
Emerson — Mike Sexton, Vetter Health Services
Grand Island — Don Nauss, Vetter Health Services
Lincoln — Terry Weber, NYE Senior Services, and Michelle Hunter, Nancy Holmgren
and Cindy Miller, Tabitha Health Care Services
Omaha — Patsy Hack, Vetter Health Services
Loup City — Janelle Krzycki, Vetter Health Services
Schuyler — Sandy Renner and Sally Sims, Golden Living Center of Schuyler
South Sioux City — Terry Tucker, NYE Senior Services
Tekamah — Tammy Lippold and Sheila Margott, Golden Living Center of Tekamah
As the state’s only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC’s extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC’s academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading health care centers. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.