Nurse-Led Quality Program Improves Care of Older Adults

An analysis covering 27 years of research has shown that a nurse-led quality program improves the care of older adults in a number of key areas.

The Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) program has proven successful in preventing falls, improving patient safety and quality of care, reducing potentially inappropriate medications, and helping healthcare providers to care for patients with dementia, reported the study’s lead author Allison Squires, Ph.D., RN.

The findings are promising, considering that organizational stressors are likely to grow as the number of older adults increases, said Squires, from the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

The results encompass NICHE program-related evidence across healthcare system settings, including long-term care facilities. The 43 analyzed studies involved more than 12,000 patients and 50,000 nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Long-term care facilities that join the NICHE program gain access to clinical education and resources, guidelines, and nursing practice models. These resources have been designed to improve nurses’ abilities to provide patient- and family-centered care for older adults, according to the organization. 

The study was published in The Gerontologist.