Clinical immersion: a residency model for nursing education.

The education of future generations of nurses is in need of philosophic and programmatic transformation in keeping with the rapidly changing health care delivery system. The Nurse Residency Model is one baccalaureate nursing program's response to calls for reform. Rooted in a spirit of collegiality and lifelong learning, the three facets of its philosophy include enhanced socialization, improved transition to practice, and increased student accountability. Students gain increased competency and demonstrate increased accountability with each progressive semester in the program, which culminates in clinical immersion in the senior year. Unique programmatic features of this model include field experiences, the simulation lab, and a work requirement. Additional benefits include resource efficiency and patient safety. Implementation remains an ongoing process. Outcome indicators are expected to yield valuable data on which to develop an evidence base in support of the model.

An educational framework to support gerontological nursing education at the baccalaureate level.

Building gerontological content into a nursing curriculum will help meet the rising nursing care needs of older adults. An educational framework used to support innovative teaching and learning strategies is presented. Using this framework, strategies for developing and teaching a new undergraduate nursing elective include exposure to and interactions with older adults, national conference attendance, and use of film to investigate issues of aging. A topical outline of the course, assignments, and additional teaching strategies are presented. To date, 58 students have reported high satisfaction and increased interest in gerontological nursing. Twenty-three percent of graduating nurses enrolled in this course and received specialty content in the care of older adults. Faculty satisfaction remained high. The innovative teaching strategies enhanced faculty and student engagement in course content. The successful use of these strategies should be considered for implementation in both elective and required courses that focus on gerontological nursing.

Using the Omaha System to document the wellness needs of the elderly.

Capturing health promotion, education, and disease prevention outreach service data and outcomes is difficult. The rapid pace of health fairs that offer free health services challenges record keeping. To address this issue, the University of Delaware Nursing Center developed short, efficient survey tools using the Omaha System of documentation. These tools allow for standardization of data, easy record keeping, and focused health assessments by various providers.

Time, tact, talent, and trust: essential ingredients of effective academic-community partnerships.

Building strong partnerships between academic institutions and community health agencies requires a commitment to time, tactful communications, talented leaders, and trust. The essential elements of partnership building are discussed based on experiences of a mid-Atlantic nursing center, an academic health center established to provide care to underserved and vulnerable populations.