New York University College of Nursing's (NYUCN) Dr. Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, FAAN, has received a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) three-year, $1.5M grant for "The Collaborative, Continuous Care (3C's) Model" project. This grant reflects a practice/education partnership between the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the NYU College of Nursing, the NYU Silver School of Social Work, the Touro College of Pharmacy, and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
"The purpose of this project is to demonstrate an innovative interprofessional model of collaborative, coordinated care that reflects the right communication across the health care system," said Dr. Cortes. "The 3C's model embodies the competencies of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) and cultivates the value of respect for other professionals' contribution to patient/family care."
Utilizing a community-based health care system and integrating a process for interprofessional education, the project will demonstrate an innovative model that:
- Cultivates a practice environment in which nurses have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in interprofessional team building, collaborative problem solving and care coordination;
- Provides interprofessional clinical training opportunities for nursing students; and
- Demonstrates innovation in IPCP.
The 3C's model will be a "first" in implementing team-based education with practitioners and students working together in the practice setting, providing an innovative way to address issues of interdisciplinary education focused on patient-centered care to address the complexity of medication management for frail older adults.
The specific goals of the 3C's model are to:
- Standardize an innovative nurse-led practice model in which at least 80% of patients' records demonstrate that coordination, communication, and collaboration lead to improved medication assessment and education, better patient adherence, and reduction of medication regimen complexity in patients with multiple chronic conditions;
- Transform interprofessional education for at least 50 advanced nursing students, as well as current members of the nurse workforce, and members and students of other professions by engaging them in community-based, nurse-led, interprofessional team education in a community health care system; and
- Develop implementation guidelines for an interprofessional practice/education model, and disseminate them to at least 20 organizations across the nation. The guidelines will place a special emphasis on model adaptability across health care settings.
Participating professionals and students will be drawn from NYUCN's Adult NP Program, the NYU Silver School of Social Work MSW Program, the Touro College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program, and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY). A total of 200 students (50 NP, 50 MSW, and 100 PharmD), in 100 teams, will come together in a large community-based health care plan managed by VNSNY.
The student-teams will be supervised and mentored by 10 NPs, 10 LCSWs, and 1 Pharmacist, who will guide the students in the use of the 3C's model by emphasizing communication, coordination and collaboration amongst the team members to provide patient/family-centered care to older adults with complex multiple chronic conditions. Due to its focus on dual-eligible frail older adults, this project meets the funding preferences for substantially benefiting a practice population categorized as poor and/or medically underserved.
"The goal of the interprofessional teamwork will be to improve the management of complex medication regimens in these community-dwelling frail older adults," said Dr. Cortes. "The aim of the model is to improve patient/family quality of care, quality of life and health outcomes by mobilizing the resources of professionals from different disciplines who bring their varied expertise together and meld their combined knowledge to provide the best in patient/family-centered care."
About New York University College of Nursing
The College of Nursing is one of the leading nursing programs in the United States. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Arts and Post-Master's Certificate Programs; a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. For more information, visit http://www.nyu.edu/nursing.
About Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing
The Hartford Institute seeks to shape the quality of health care that older Americans receive by promoting the highest level of geriatric competency in all nurses who deliver care. By raising the standards of nursing care, the Hartford Institute aims to ensure that people age in comfort and dignity. Its initiatives include education, practice, research, and policy. For more information, visit http://www.HartfordIGN.org.