JHF Staff and Partners Contribute to New Textbook on Academic-Practice Collaboration in Nursing Homes

The staffing crisis that continues to plague nursing homes is only exacerbated by the shrinking pipeline of nursing school graduates into the long-term care setting. Students continue to have limited exposure to geriatrics coursework, and misconceptions around the viability of long-term care nursing as a career persist, leaving many new nurses looking elsewhere to start their careers. Yet long-term care nursing offers rich opportunities for leadership and professional fulfillment. To address this perception and education gap, the Curriculum Committee of the Revisiting the Teaching Nursing Home initiative, which Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) and Health Careers Futures lead together with The John A. Hartford Foundation, conceived of a resource to transform the perception of the role of nursing in long-term care settings, better prepare the careforce, and improve the quality of care for residents.

Practice & Leadership in Nursing Homes: Building on Academic–Practice Partnerships, a new textbook published by Sigma has been designed as a guide for both undergraduate and graduate nursing students to illuminate the opportunities within long-term care and provide a roadmap preparing the next generation of nursing leaders to deliver high-quality care to nursing home residents. It delves into topic such as comprehensive care planning, models of care delivery, common geriatric syndromes, staff development and training, and nursing home financing and regulatory information, offering students a glimpse into the multitude of ways that they can influence the delivery of person-centered care to residents. The content also aligns with the updated AACN Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.

Edited by Teaching Nursing Home collaborators and Curriculum Committee co-chairs JoAnne Reifsnyder, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, FAAN, Ann Kolanowski, PhD, RN, FAAN, along with Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, PhD, RN, FAAN, the book also features chapters authored by JHF staff members Nancy Zionts, MBA, Emily Franke, MSW, LSW, and Maureen Saxon-Gioia, MSHSA, BSN, RN, and Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Amy Berman, RN, LHD(hon), FAAN, of The John A. Hartford Foundation. Additionally, the following initiative partners also contributed their expertise to the book: Marie Boltz, PhD, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN, of the Ross & Carol Nese College of Nursing at The Pennsylvania State University; Sophie A. Campbell, MSN, RN, CRRN, RAC-CT, CNDLTC, of PADONA (Pennsylvania Association of Directors of Nursing Administration); Howard B. Degenholtz, PhD, FGSA, of the University of Pittsburgh; Donna Fick, PhD, GCNS-BC, FAAN, of the Ross & Carol Nese College of Nursing at The Pennsylvania State University; Taylor McMahon, RN, CNDLTC, of The Willows Presbyterian Senior Care Network; Kim Ratliff, BSN, RN, CNDLTC, of Wesley Enhanced Living; and Brian D. Stever, BSN, RN, RAC-CT, owner of Stever Advisors, LLC.

This text is essential reading for nursing students and faculty, as well as those already working in the nursing home setting. JHF and The John A. Hartford Foundation are collaborating on a widespread dissemination plan for the textbook, which will include integration into Teaching Nursing Home Collaborative activities. Additionally, to further promote dissemination of the content of the textbook, authors will serve as subject matter experts during the 2024 Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network administered by JHF.