UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Donna Fick, Penn State College of Nursing Elouise Ross Eberly Professor and director of the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, and Nikki Hill, assistant professor and associate director of education of the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, have been honored with the Distinguished Nurse Educator in Gerontological Nursing award.
The award is presented by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE). The Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Program is an NHCGNE initiative that aims to recognize the leadership of nurse educators working with students, faculty, providers, and older adults in diverse settings.
“It is an honor to be recognized alongside Dr. Fick and other leaders in gerontological nursing. Several of our faculty have received the Distinguished Nurse Educator in Gerontological Nursing award, which reflects the sustained commitment by the college and our Center of Geriatric Nursing to provide outstanding education and training opportunities in the care of older adults.” said Hill.
Fick and Hill are among several nurse educators that lead the Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE) and its efforts to improve the lives of older adults in positive and person-centered ways. Among the many resources the center provides, they also offer a multitude of research-backed programs and projects, such as the Researching Efficient Approaches to Delirium Identification (READI) – an identification protocol that helps detect delirium in hospitalized adults age 70 and older.
“I am honored to receive the Distinguished Nurse Educator in Gerontological Nursing award, along with Dr. Hill and other past recipients in our College of Nursing and Geriatric Center,” Fick stated. “There is no greater reward in nursing than being able to help improve the care of older adults by teaching, mentoring, and learning from others-both students and direct care providers. Despite the progress we have made in geriatric nursing in many areas, 2020 has shown us how much work we must do, to address issues of nursing home reform, ageism, ableism, and the intersection of ageism and racism, in our healthcare system. We need geriatric nurse educators and researchers more than ever. Please visit our college and center website or reach out to us directly if you would like to join us!”
To learn more about the center, click here.