19 Methodist nurses complete AgeWISE program; next cohort begins this month

Nineteen registered nurses graduated from the AgeWISE geropalliative care nurse residency program on June 5. These committed nurses from three Methodist Health System hospitals and Dunklau Gardens represented numerous nursing units and departments.

June 2024 Graduates

Kaitlyn Collins            
Olivia Deemer            
Travis Foote            
Shelby Gross                
Rebecca Howard            
Ashley Hunter            
Allie Siegel            
Steph Madej            
Mary Marks                
Kerri McClane            
Jillian McGranaghan        
Dawn Mielke            
Tyra Mollhoff            
Courtney Schuster        
Erica Smith                
Brooke Walters            
Kim Wilson                
Karla Wochnick            
Laurene Yuskevich

More About AgeWISE

AgeWISE is a four-month specialty nurse residency that promotes the crucial role nurses play in enhancing the hospital experience for older patients and their families, as well as people receiving palliative care. AgeWISE nurses gain enhanced knowledge in geropalliative care to provide more specific and sensitive care to patients. They also gain a sense of empowerment and increased confidence when having difficult conversations with patients, families and physicians related to geropalliative and end-of-life care. Additionally, these nurses report renewed enthusiasm in their calling, having gained skills that are useful in their personal lives. AgeWISE uses the Age-Friendly 4Ms Model of Care – focusing on What Matters to the older adult, Medications, Mentation and Mobility.

Participating nurses are required to take a professional nursing certification exam six months after they graduate. Nurses enrolled in a BSN, MSN or DNP program have one year to sit for certification. The Methodist foundations support funding for nurse certifications. Nurses can also take advantage of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Success Pays program for selected certifications supported by Methodist. Certification demonstrates a nurse’s commitment to the profession and lifelong learning. ANCC certification provides evidence to the public and the profession of the strength of nurses’ knowledge, and it contributes to improved patient care.

Recently, the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care (ADDC) seminar from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) was incorporated into the AgeWISE curriculum. AgeWISE graduates gained a better understanding of dementia and dementia care, and they learned nonpharmacological techniques to prevent and de-escalate behaviors in individuals with dementia. Completion of the ADDC seminar is a requirement for obtaining Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) certification, and all graduates completing the seminar are now eligible for certification.

Methodist Health System continues to be a national leader in AgeWISE. Nearly 350 nurses have graduated since 2010, which is greater than any of the original participating hospitals. At Methodist, AgeWISE is a collaborative program between Methodist Hospital and Nebraska Methodist College. Hilary Applequist, DNP, APRN-NP, NP-C, ACHPN, represents the college as a faculty member and is a palliative care nurse practitioner in the palliative medicine department at Methodist Hospital.

Earlier this year, Methodist celebrated the retirement of Deborah Conley, who started AgeWISE at Methodist and has left an incredible mark on nurses and patients throughout her nearly five-decade career!

The next AgeWISE cohort begins this month. For more information, contact Chris Vejnovich or Hilary Applequist.