Nurses at St. Francis Medical center received the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders designation.
NICHE is a national program designed to upgrade the quality of care for hospitalized older adults by accommodating their special needs.
Originating at New York University College of Nursing, NICHE is the leading nurse-driven program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. It has been embraced by nurses in almost 450 hospitals and healthcare facilities.
The ultimate goal of the program is to achieve patient-centered care for older adults by providing principles and tools to stimulate change in the culture of healthcare facilities, increase awareness of the special needs of older adults and improve staff competence in geriatric care.
Designation as a NICHE facility demonstrates a hospital’s commitment and continued progress in enhancing the patient and family experience and supporting the needs of its communities. St. Francis is a NICHE designated hospital.
Chief Nursing Officer, Mary Anne Suttles, said the designation is one of the ways St.Francis staff is improving patient care.
“The NICHE designation validates our commitment to provide excellent care to the elders in our community and to support the development and education of our nursing staff,” Suttles said in a statement.
St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Catholic Health East, is an acute care teaching hospital recently ranked by Consumer Reports in the top five hospitals in NJ for safety and number one in Mercer County.
More information is online at stfrancismedical.org.
