Geriatric Nurse Fellows Making A Difference In Local Communities
Fourteen Geriatric Nurse Fellows from the Indian Health Geriatric Nurse Fellowship pilot program’s first cohort shared results from their local projects during the July meeting at the Indian Health Service (IHS) headquarters.
Staff from the Division of Nursing Services (DNS), Division of Clinical and Community Services (DCCS), and members of the National Nursing Leadership Council (NNLC) gathered with fellows in Rockville, Maryland, for the presentations.
The fellowship program aims to empower the IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health (I/T/U) nursing workforce with the knowledge and skills to serve as local leaders and champions of care for Native elders. Participants were eligible for up to $6,500 in reimbursement and funding to support:
- core and specialty training,
- site reimbursement to help buy out the time to participate,
- local project activities,
- attendance at the in-person final presentations and
- additional funding for board certification courses or advanced training.
Fellow's four-month projects were picked based on local needs and interests. Topics ranged from sexually transmitted infection (STI) health education for older adults to dementia screening. Medication reconciliation and polypharmacy-related were the most popular topics. Volunteer mentors helped support local project work.
"Having had the privilege of experiencing the Geri Nurse Fellow pilot presentations, I am beyond impressed by the caliber of work produced. These presentations did more than educate; they inspired me to replicate their innovative projects within my own facility. Truly, this is a testament to what passionate individuals can achieve with the right support and a shared vision for better healthcare," noted Alonna Adair, RN, MSN, Chief Nurse Executive, Claremore Indian Hospital and National Nursing Leadership Council Chair.
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Suzie Chism, a nurse from the IHS Pine Ridge Service Unit in Kyle, South Dakota, developed and tested a new educational intervention to assess medication label literacy. Her work included creating a pre-and post-test that could serve as a stand-alone tool to stratify medication understanding and adherence risk.
Chism shared "In my role as a nurse and also as a daughter that has cared for my father through early onset Alzheimer's disease, I have a strong affinity for helping the elderly and their families. Being surrounded by others in this program, including the supportive and encouraging leadership and mentors, that are just as passionate about elder care was a positive experience for me both on a professional and personal level."
IHS has a webpage dedicated to more information about the pilot program, Indian Health Geriatric Nurse Fellowship Program | Pilots and Initiatives (ihs.gov).
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