Approximately 1.8 million elderly Americans reside in one of the 22,000 nursing homes in this country. The comfort and safety of these residents depend on the skills of the nurse aides(NAs) who provide 80% of direct patient care. Despite a federal mandate requiring facilities to provide 12 hours of NA continuing education annyally, compliance with this regulation is questionable and the quality of this training is variable. In the Phase I project, a core curriculum of NA continuing education consisting of 12 """"""""modules"""""""" was created. One module, """"""""Understanding Depression"""""""" was developed into a 45-minute interactive video CD-ROM using the stories of 5 actual residents, their families and caregivers. We demonstrated enhanced knowledge comparing pre- post-test scores (p<0.0001), overwhelmingly favorable user satisfaction and the ability to apply the information in a """"""""practical assessment"""""""" using actual clinical situations presented through the CD-ROM video. For the Phase II project, we will complete the development of all 12 """"""""modules"""""""" and conduct a randomized trial. Outcome measures are compliance with training, ability to apply the knowledge in a practical exercise, and knowledge acquired and retained. Special attention will be paid to minority issues and cultural diversity as they apply to long-term care residents, their families and nursing home personnel.
There is a need for continuing education resources designed specifically for nurse aides in nursing homes. This CD-ROM training system, """"""""Solutions for Long-term Care"""""""" (SLC) will be the first comprehensive curriculum that addresses the federal educational requirement. The CD- ROM format provides an unprecedented opportunity to produce an engaging, educational experience. In addition to the 22,000 nursing homes in this country. SLC will be attractive to home health care and personal care home markets.
| Rosen, Jules; Mulsant, Benoit H; Marino, Patricia et al. (2008) Web-based training and interrater reliability testing for scoring the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Psychiatry Res 161:126-30 |
