A Call to All Nurses Working in Geriatrics: Make 2007 A Great Year by Joining the Campaign: Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes
Article Outline
Dr. Barbara Resnick
On September 29, a new nationwide campaign, Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes, was launched at a Quality Summit of stakeholders held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. This coalition-based campaign is concerned with how we care for elderly and disabled citizens. The program included remarks from Mark McClellan, administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS); Bob Kerry and Newt Gingrich, cochairs of the National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care; Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi; and Barry Straube, chief medical officer and director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality at CMS. Topics discussed using a panel approach included the State of Quality in Nursing Homes Today and the Importance of Cultural Transformation and Caregiver Workers for Quality Improvements; in addition, there were three panel presentations on the Advancing Excellence in American’s Nursing Homes campaign and how to make it happen.
The campaign is targeting 8 measurable goals—4 of which are clinical and 4 of which are organizational:
Participating in this program is completely voluntary, and I encourage each of you to consider instituting the program or to at least discuss it with staff members at your facilities. Moreover, there are multiple ways to get involved as a provider, consumer, or in the Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE). There is no excuse to overlook the program even for those of you who are not currently providing direct clinical care.
Members of the Excellence Campaign Steering Committee On January 17, 2007, members of the steering committee for the Campaign to Advance Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes met with Leslie Norwalk (Center), Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to solicit support for this unprecedented campaign to improve quality of care in nursing homes. Representatives from the American Association of Assessment Coordinators (Diane Carter), National Conference of Geriatric Nurse Practitioners (Debra Bakerjian), National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration/Long Term Care (Charlotte Eliopoulos), and the National Gerontological Nursing Association (Robin Remsburg), all members from the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations, attended the meeting.
Encourage your facilities to participate, as well as your families and those of your residents as consumers. Consider taking a role in the activities of the LANEs. To participate, your facility must commit to work on at least 3 of the 8 campaign goals. Take some time to review the detailed explanation of each goal and how it is measured, speak with your administrative staff, and take a moment to sign on. In so doing, you can demonstrate your commitment to measuring quality improvement. You can register to participate in the campaign on the following Web page: http://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/star_index.aspx?controls=nursing_homes. Once enrolled, facilities gain access to online Web tools that will assist them in achieving their own goals.
Why is it so important for nurses to participate in this initiative? Although I am preaching to the choir, I want to remind you that the care provided in nursing homes is essentially nursing care, whether at the advanced practice level, at the administrative level under the auspices of the director of nursing, or in direct care management by the facility’s registered nurse or the many licensed practical nurses who manage and care for residents and directly supervise nursing assistants. This care is central to the day-to-day management of residents, their recovery following acute medical problems, and, most important, to their quality of life. I, among many, have worked in nursing homes since the late 1960s and have seen many changes in the field. With each restorative care intervention I do today, I remember the wonderful residents I took out of Houdini restraints to walk in my early nursing assistant days. We have changed, and we have improved! Nursing homes are places where many older adults spend their final days among the loving arms of nurses of all colors and cultures and all levels of knowledge; these nurses are experienced with the “tricks of the trade” necessary to optimize quality of life.
The Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO) likewise supports this initiative and was represented at the Founders meeting by Diane Carter (AANAC), Charlotte Eliopoulos (NADONA), and Robin Remsburg (NGNA). CGNO represents more than 20,000 geriatric nurses who seek to improve the health care of older adults across care settings. It is supported by the John A. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, located at the New York University College of Nursing. The coalition was initially organized in October 2001 and has continued to work as a united nursing voice in endeavors that are relevant to care of older adults. Organizations that are part of CGNO include American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel on Aging, American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators, the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing New York University, National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care, National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners, and the National Gerontological Nursing Association. Please inform your respective organization(s) (I am assuming you are a member of at least 1 of these groups, and if not, check out each of them!) of your involvement at whatever level you chose to engage in the Campaign to Advance Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes. Each organization will have an opportunity to report back to CGNO about its work on this endeavor. Feel free to write to Geriatric Nursing as well as to share your work and experiences. Meanwhile, here’s to Excellence in Nursing Homes in 2007!
PII: S0197-4572(07)00032-8
doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2007.01.004
© 2007 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
