“Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care” It’s the theme for this year’s nationally recognized Nurse’s Week. I’m proud to say that I’ve worked alongside nurses in my professional career and I am grateful. Our nurses serving older adults bring quality care and innovation every day in their practice. During nurse’s week many organizations put out relevant data and I thought these statistics from The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing are particularly telling of today’s nursing labor landscape: – The 78-million member baby boom generation born between 1946 and 1964 begins turning 65 in 2011. – More than three-fourths of adults over age 65 suffer from at least one chronic medical condition that requires ongoing care and management. – With more than 3 million members, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation's health care workforce. – Less than 1 percent of registered nurses are certified in geriatrics. – The shortage of registered nurses overall is projected to be as high as 808,000 by 2020 (Auerbach et al., 2007; HRSA, 2002). – In 2005, 31 percent of new RNs received baccalaureate degrees, but only one-third of the baccalaureate programs required a course focused on geriatrics. Wesley Homes values our licensed nursing staff. The campuses have licensed staff in our wellness clinics to support our residents with their life and wellness goals. It is typical that our wellness nurses assist our resident in navigating our sometimes confusing healthcare system. Our wellness staff field questions from residents and their family members, provide referrals to community resources, provide direct care such as foot care and blood pressure checks and they provide support and supervision to our campus nursing assistants employed through our Community Health Services division. Our wellness nurses steward our residents through their happy residency and often they are there holding their hands at the end. It is my intention to introduce you to our licensed wellness staff over the course of 2013's Nurse's Week. Please visit The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing's website for more information on the good work they do in raising awareness about the need for nurses with geriatric expertise.
