REASN: Resourcefully Enhancing Aging in Specialty Nursing

Creating and Enhancing New and Sustainable Advanced Geriatric Educational Products and Resources

As part of the REASN project, the Hartford Institute collaborates with participating organizations to help create new geriatric training products and resources. Available on this page  are descriptions and links to REASN funded products from:

 

 

 

 

AACN Logo AAN Logo

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and American Academy of Nursing (AAN) released a FREE online, self-paced program, "Best Practices for Elder Care."

Developed with support from Resourcefully Enhancing Aging in Specialty Nursing (REASN), an initiative of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the Web-based program includes three introductory modules that address care for hospitalized elders, physiological changes that take place during aging and frame works for elder care. The dynamic platform boasts an interactive design that includes links to best practice articles and supplementary educational Web sites.

Nurses earn 4.0 hours of continuing education units for completing this Web-based course, consisting of four units of instructional content, four units of interactive case studies, and a 17-question self-assessment unit.

Available on the AACN Web site, the course can be viewed at "Best Practice for Elder Care"

 

 

ASPMN Logo The American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) developed curriculum to prepare hospital nurses to become Geriatric Pain Management Resource Nurses. Hospitals and Institutions are encouraged to consider presenting this course to improve pain management for older adults. The ASPMN Geriatric Pain Management Course is a six-hour program presented by two highly qualified Master Faculty. ASPMN was also the first association to produce an issue for the Hartford Institute Try This Specialty Practice Series, This SP1: Assessment of Nociceptive versus Neuropathic Pain in Older Adults

View more information about the curriculum and hosting a geriatric pain management nursing course in your area.

 

 

AORN Logo The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) developed a Confidence-Based Learning (CBL) Module, “Perioperative Care of the Older Adult,” available on the AORN web site. The course provides guidance to the perioperative nurse in promoting optimal outcomes for the older adult through recognition of the physiological, cognitive/psychosocial and sociological changes associated with aging.
View more information on the AORN website

 

 

ENA Logo The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), in collaboration with a multidisciplinary Advisory Group, is developing universal recommended guidelines for the safer handoff of older adult patients between long-term care (LTC) facilities and emergency departments (ED). ENA is also working to offer continuing education as an incentive to health care professionals to adopt and implement the universal recommended guidelines. A discount will be offered to NICHE hospitals who are interested in puchasing the guidelines.
View more information on the ENA website

 

 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA)

HPNA developed the web course series: Dementia Care: Understanding the Diagnosis, Embracing the Diversity, and Upholding the Dignity at the End of Life. This online series has a multidimensional approach that is needed for quality care of the patient with end stage dementia.  The 3-part web course describes the many causes of dementia and the care needs of patients with advanced dementia. View More information on the HPNA website.  

 

INS Logo On December 8, 2009, the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) held a one hour long webinar on infusion therapy for older adults, which was funded by REASN (Resourcefully Enhancing Aging in Specialty Nursing). The webinar has been archived and is free to all INS members ($35 for non-members).

Presented by Corinne Bishop, RN, CRRN, CRNI®, this program focused on the changes that occur in body systems during the aging process and how these changes impact the provision of infusion therapy in the older adult. Strategies to improve success in performing peripheral catheter insertion as well as administering infusion therapy in the older adult were discussed.


Note: Nurses participating in this program can earn 0.8 contact hours while CRNI®s can earn one recertification unit.
Register to view the webinar.

 

 

National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON)

NAON developed “Practice Points” with special considerations for older adults.  The session, Injury in the Geritol® Generation  was offered at the 2010 NAON conference. The Practice Points and archived session are available on the NAON web site at http://www.orthonurse.org/. NAON is including a chapter “Special Considerations for the Older Adult” in the 7th edition of the NAON Core Curriculum.

 

National Staff Development Organization (NNSDO)

NNSDO has developed a “How To” module for staff development educators to use to infuse content about care of older adults into their practice settings. The module is a joint NNSDO/Hartford Institute project. Nurse educators in staff development positions are in prime positions to educate staff nurses and other health care professionals about the basics of care of older adults. As staff development educators move from “direct deliverers” of education to “knowledge managers,” they need to be knowledgeable about web-based and print resources to which they can direct nursing staff for self-study. The ready-made module will position nurse staff development educators to respond to the needs of individual nurses and to institutional needs for education of groups of nurses in care of older patients.

 

Oncology Nurses Society (ONS)has developed a Geriatric Oncology web course including Geriatric Oncology Content and Train the Trainer pedagogical resources to deliver the geriatric oncology content. The “Caring for the Older Adult With Cancer Trainer Course” prepares participants to teach the ONS “Caring for the Older Adult With Cancer Course”. Upon successful completion of the web-based course, trainer course participants will receive the materials necessary to teach the 4-hour PowerPoint-based “Caring for the Older Adult with Cancer Course.” Learn more about this course.  

PCNA LogoThe Preventive Cardiovascular Nursing Association (PCNA) developed a new section of the association’s Online Medical Forms Guide to provide information on behavior change and adherence with a special focus on older adults.
View more information on the PCNA website

PCNA has also developed two Try This:® Specialty Practice series issues: