Geriatric Grand Challenge Institute

The Geriatric Grand Challenge Insitute (GGCI) is an innovative continuing education (CE) experience that was first offered in 2003, and has continued to evolve to meet new patient, care teams, and agency needs. Duke has received support from the USDHHS Health Resources and Services Administration to offer both a core and an advanced grand challenge in dementia curriculum through 2015.

Background

The GGCI was developed based on the successful Geriatric Nursing Innovations in Education (GNIE) Institute. GNIE focused on enhancing registered nurses’ geriatric knowledge and clinical leadership skills to enable them to influence practice change. The new Geriatric Grand Challenge Institute invites RNs and their colleagues from other health professions to learn together how they might enhance care outcomes of older adults. The inter-professional participants will apply their knowledge by designing an evidence-based quality improvement initiative within their setting, with coaching from the GGCI faculty. This mentored experience has been a successful component of the GNIE Institute and remains an essential learning component of the new GGCI.

Connecting Health Care Professinals

The Geriatric Grand Challenge Institute (GGCI) will facilitate the bringing together of diverse perspectives and skills to create a critical mass of health care professionals who when confronted with challenges in caring for people with dementia, use an evidence-based set of approaches consistently across settings of care to optimize outcomes.

Grand Challenges

The term “grand challenges” was coined in the 1980s. Grand Challenges are complex problems with broad impact that require a concerted effort of diverse perspectives and skills to resolve. The philosophy behind “Grand Challenges” is that by defining a problem well and facilitating innovative approaches to its management, a wide array of problem-solvers will focus their attention on developing sustainable, effective solutions (USAID, 2012). The rapidly expanding number of older adults with cognitive impairment is a pressing global health challenge. This challenge is growing in significance as dementing disorders often present serious impediments to delivering needed health care, including the management of common diseases such as diabetes and heart failure. With the passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA; USGPO, 2011), dementia is now recognized as an important, persistent problem among older adults, that is growing in prevalence. Dementia’s impact is multi-faceted, affecting clinical, social, and family outcomes. Dementia care therefore qualifies as exactly the type of issue that requires the concentrated effort called for in a Grand Challenge approach.

Testimonials from Past Participants

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell others what this opportunity has and still does mean to me.  Dale

How and where do you begin to tell others about the truly GREAT educational opportunity you were afforded by attending something called GNIE?
First of all the name doesn't say it all.  GNIE stands for Geriatric Nursing Innovations in Education -- which really encompasses geriatric patients in all health care settings and how we can provide more, better, and continually improve care through best practices, continuing education, trial studies, and involvement of your current agency staff to improve nursing in your small area of the world. 

       All we can say is go for it!  Put all you have into each learning opportunity and you too will be amazed with what you can and will learn as well as how effective it will be no matter what your present job or career opportunity is.  GNIE was an exciting, wonderful, educational learning experience.  I will not forget IT or the DUKE faculty.  Thank for the chance to dream again in the world of exciting educational opportunities.                   Sharon & Dale
 

Sharon L. Watson,RN and Dale D. Everett,RN 

Carteret Home Health and Hospice

(2009 participants)

 

 
I would be honored/thrilled to provide recommendations as a graduate/past participant and I appreciate you thinking of me. Not only were we delighted to have had three people here at Advanced Home Care participate, our agency benefited from the project directed toward reducing the number of patient falls. As a nurse, I appreciated the stimulating, evidence based focus of the course and the engaging and helpful faculty.
 
Laurie Lovejoy McNichol, MSN, RN, GNP, CWOCN

 

Advanced Home Care  Director,
Home Health Practice and Quality 
(2009 Participant)
 
 
 

Acknowledgements

This program has been underwritten by a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant awarded to the Duke University School of Nursing.  A Comprehensive Geriatric Education Program Award, DHHS—HRSA D62 HP01909-10-00.