Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust

Geriatric Nursing Certificate Program

Fairfield University and its School of Nursing recently received a $15,000 grant from the Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust to enhance the Geriatric Nursing Certificate program for University Faculty and students, as well as practicing nurses in the greater Fairfield area. Dr. Meredith Wallace, Associate Professor of nursing at Fairfield University will lead the team

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to enhance the current geriatric nurse education course (30 contact hours) certificate program into a web-based program. The over-arching goal of Dr. Wallace's work is based on research that nurses will develop comfort, confidence, and passion in caring for the elderly in long-term care through the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and clinical practice. The certificate program was originally designed to prepare nurses to plan, manage, and implement health care to meet those needs and to evaluate the effectiveness of such care. The on-line version of the course will extend the impact of this educational experience to nurses throughout the State of Connecticut. Completion of the three academic credits (30 contact hours) will qualify registered nurses with two years of experience (inclusive of the year in which they are completing the certificate program) to sit for the Gerontological Specialty Nursing Certification examination provided by the American Nurse Credentialing Center. Through the development of theoretical knowledge and clinical practice with the elderly, nurses will develop comfort, confidence, and passion in caring for this population in long-term care. This certificate program will prepare nurses to plan, manage, and implement health care to meet those needs, and evaluate the effectiveness of such care.

Geriatric Nurse Online Education Program Brochure

Grant Objectives

Goal 1: Enhance current geriatric course.

Goal 2: Course will be adapted for web delivery.

Goal 3: Course will be linked to other Geriatric Nursing Websites

Goal 4: A minimum of 20 nurses will be enrolled in the course.

Goal 5: Students in the course will demonstrate improved knowledge and perceptions of the elderly.

Goal 6: Students will become successfully certified as Geriatric Nurses through the American Credentialing Center.

Goal 7: Project outcomes and experiences will be disseminated through paper and poster presentations.

The Mission of The Adrian and Jessie Archbold Trust

This Trust was established in 1976 in New York. The grants provided by the Trust focus primarily on the medical sciences, hospitals, health-related organizations, child welfare and youth programs, and social service agencies. Specific fields of interest include the biological sciences, biomedicine, children/youth services, education, health care, health organizations, hospitals, and medical research.

Contact Informaton
Jean Lange, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
Phone: (203) 254-4000, ext. 2713
E-mail: jlange@mail.fairfield.edu