FISHKILL (March 18, 2015) – Sixteen Elant nurses were honored for attaining certification in gerontological nursing, which will further enhance the care provided to residents, at a recent celebratory luncheon held at the Elant at Fishkill campus.
The certification, given through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, recognizes the importance of high-quality continuing nursing education and skill-based competency programs. This specialty certification provides a sense of confidence and achievement for the nurse personally and professionally and is a standard of excellence in the nursing profession.
The newly credentialed nurses are: Donna Adams, Brigitte Barber, Donna Browne-Atkins, Samantha Dawson, Deborah Elliott, Diane Flower, Johana Gonzalez, Wendelyn Marmon, Lyn Matthews, Debra McDuffie, Christine O’Toole, Dianne Pauselius, Stacey Ricci, Nicoleta Stratica, Amanda Thompson and Amelia Worley.
To be eligible to sit for the certification exam, the ANCC requires the nurse to hold a current, active RN license within a U.S. state or territory; have practiced an equivalent of two years, full time as a registered nurse; have a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice in the specialty area of gerontological nursing within the last three years; and have completed 30 hours of continuing education in gerontological nursing within the last three years.
To assist the nurses with their continuing education credits, Elant provided access to RN.com, an online educational website which offers ANCC accredited RN educational courses. Elant also offered an eight-hour Gerontological Nursing Refresher Class to prepare them for the exam and 100 percent of the nurses were successful in achieving a score that qualified for certification.
“We have such a specially trained, quality staff, which ultimately enhances the quality of the services we provide to our residents,” said Todd Whitney, Elant CEO. “We’re proud to have so many of our nurses achieve this certification status, as it further displays a commitment to excellence.”
The ANCC Certification Program enables nurses to demonstrate their specialty expertise and validate their knowledge to patients, residents, families and employers through targeted exams that incorporate the latest nursing practice standards.
“Elant’s staff is among the first in the region to have this credentialing,” said Christine O’Toole, Elant vice president of clinical operations and executive director. “This certification demonstrates and validates their vast knowledge.”
Elant’s philosophy on education mirrors the ANCC.
“We both recognize the importance of continuing high-quality nursing education, evidence-based practice and skills-based competency programs,” said Theresa Loughney, RN-BC, BSN, MS, Elant’s clinical educator. “We emphasize nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes, while providing safe, positive work environments.”
The entire Elant community benefits when its nurses achieve such credentialing.
“Patients, residents and their families gain peace of mind knowing that the nurses who are caring for them or their loved one have a strong knowledge base, acknowledge current evidence-based practice and have demonstrated skills in gerontological nursing,” added Loughney.
According to the National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA), a 2013 Administration on Aging report says Americans over age 65 make up 13.7 percent of the population, or one in every seven people, with anticipated growth that will be historically unprecedented.
With this aging trend comes an obligation that nurses understand factors impacting physical, social, psychological and spiritual well‐ being in older adults, along with complex care needs, according to the NGNA. This includes information about normal physiological age‐related changes, chronic illnesses along with the demands of self‐management placed on older adults and their care providers, disabilities that often occur in later years of life and strategies for promoting health, well‐being and quality of life.
ABOUT ELANT
Elant is a comprehensive health care system that serves the needs of more than 3,500 individuals throughout the Hudson Valley region. The organization includes six campuses and employs more than 1,200 dedicated individuals. Elant provides a full continuum of care, including Sub-Acute Care and Rehabilitation Services, Skilled Nursing Care, Assisted Living, Adult Day Care, Retirement Community Living, Home Health Care and a Managed Long Term Care Plan. To learn more, call 800-501-3936.
###
