School of Nursing

ECLEPS

Welcome to the Enriched Clinical Learning Environments through Partnerships in LTC (ECLEPS) site. This site provides numerous resources for faculty in nursing education programs and for community-based residential care organizations. We appreciate your interest in ECLEPs and invite you to use any of the materials provided here.

Thank you for your interest,
Juliana Cartwright, Ph.D., RN Project Director (2008 - 2018)

White board with sticky notes

Key Project Staff:

  • Diana White, Co-Director (2008 - 2012);
  • Project Evaluator (2016 - 2018)
  • Tiffany Allen, Project Manager (2008 - 2012)
  • Kate Maresh, Project Manager (2016 - 2018)

Faculty, 2016-2018

  • Belinda Brooks, RN, MNE
  • Malinda Burt, RN, MNE
  • Chally Kruse, RN, MN
  • Amanda Marcus, RN, MNE, lead faculty

Students in the Baccalaureate Nursing Completion Program, 2016-2018. The quality improvement and emergency response communication tools on this website reflect their commitment, passion, and willingness to think outside the box.

Enriching Clinical Learning Experiences through Partnerships (ECLEPs)

Created in 2008, ECLEPs has provided training and resources to develop community-based residential care settings (CBRC) (e g., assisted living, residential care, nursing homes) as excellent clinical sites for nursing students to learn best practices in care of older adults. The project goal has been to build capacity to positively impact the care of older Oregonians by:

  • Improving practice in community-based residential care settings.
  • Providing clinical experiences focusing on older adults for nursing students.
  • Improving work environments in CBRC that may lead to recruitment and retention of nurses who desire to care for this population.

Through clinical‐academic partnerships, we have created a model training and support program that provides CBRC staffs with essential knowledge and skills to enhance their practice setting and support students’ learning. At the same time, based on principles of service-learning, students have engaged with partners on a range of projects that enhance students’ skills and knowledge to be nurse leaders in a range of care settings and with diverse populations, particularly older adults.

Vital statistics between 2007 and 2018:

Participants

  • Students: 412
  • Faculty: 28
  • CBRC organizations: 32
  • Nursing programs: 2 associate degree programs + 3 campuses of OHSU School of Nursing

Funding Mechanisms

  • Northwest Health Foundation
  • Federal Health Resources and Services Administration (D62HP06855-04-01)
  • Oregon Department of Human Services Innovations Initiative (#150472)

Professional Development Activities for Academic-Clinical Partners

  • Learn Empower, Achieve, Produce (LEAP) Training
  • PHI Coaching Supervision® Seminar
  • Peer Networking Audio Conferences
  • Gerontology Nurse Certification Preparation Course (ANCC)
  • Livewell™ Quality Improvement Training (CareOregon)

Project Replication Manual

ECLEPs is a model for clinical academic partnerships in long-term care (LTC) settings, including nursing homes, home, and community-based care facilities such as assisted living and residential care.

The primary aims of ECLEPs are to:

  • promote faculty development in gerontological nursing,
  • recognize and use the expertise of LTC nurses and support these nurses through multiple resources and staff development,
  • provide student nurses an opportunity to experience excellent long-term care nursing and understand the nurse's role in long-term chronic illness management.

ECLEPs was initially developed by OHSU and multiple partners through a pilot grant funded by the Northwest Health Foundation (NWHF). The ECLEPs model was then replicated in several communities in Southern Oregon through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. With additional support from the NWHF, the ECLEPs model has been adapted for students in the OHSU baccalaureate completion program (RNBS). Most recently, the project has been supported by the State of Oregon Department of Human Services.

Through the various forms of ECLEPs, we have learned a lot about what makes successful partnerships and excellent student experiences. The Replication Manual is designed to share some of those lessons learned. We hope that other schools of nursing and long-term care agencies will find this information useful as they seek to develop and strengthen partnerships that benefit student learning and resident care.

Click here to download our Replication Manual.

Peer Reviewed Gerontological Resources

The peer-reviewed gerontological resources were developed as an easy-to-use reference for faculty wanting to infuse gerontological content in to nursing courses. Web resources were primarily identified from published articles, existing websites, the Google online search engine, or faculty recommendations.

Sites were specifically selected for their applicability for student learning at the pre-RN licensure level.

All sites underwent primary review by one of the site-list authors, who also developed the descriptive information. Sites were reviewed for their application to student learning and their evidence base. All four authors reviewed all sites and annotated descriptions. This information was accurate and linkages were active on March 23, 2018.

The Peer Reviewed Gerontological Web Resources authors are: Tiffany L. Allen, RN, MS, PCCN, CWHC; Juliana Cartwright, PhD, RN; Layla Garrigues, PhD, RN; Michelle Hall, DNP, RN

Click the link below to view resources; the websites are listed alphabetically.

Alzheimer's Disease Association Videos/Interactive material

The mission of the Alzheimer's Disease Association is to" eliminate Alzheimer's Disease through the advancement of research, provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. "This site is a goldmine of resources targeted to the public, family caregivers, health care providers, and researchers. Materials include interactive presentations, video clips, fact sheets, stories by families, quizzes and assessment tools, and text-based information. Has a lending library of text and media resources. Provides links to local chapters and other key resources for people affected by Alzheimer's Disease (patients, families, providers, researchers).

Content includes information on brain health, pathology associated with A.D., clinical manifestations and treatment, suggestions for caregivers, financial information for families, legal and policy implications of the disease, and resources for researchers.

Suggestions for use:

There is content for every student level here (chronic, acute, leadership, population health, integrated practicum). This site includes scholarly papers, practical pointers, visuals, fact sheets, links to numerous articles, etc.
 

Aging in the Know: Health in Aging

Created by the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA), Aging in the Know offers up-to-date information geared toward Older Adult consumers on health and aging. Geared towards Older Adults, there is an active mailing list to receive the latest news, research updates page, and glossary of terms. Information on common diseases and disorders that affect older adults. The "What to Ask" Series provides older adults with practical questions and tips to help them work with their provider on developing the best care plan for the older adult. It is also useful for family caregivers of older adults.

Suggestions for use:

Faculty can have students in the community (population) course, leadership course, and chronic I and II access site to learn more about the aging process, health care decisions, and trends in the elderly population. The site also provides specific information about community-based, hospital-based, and nursing home care. This website is geared towards educating older adults and family caregivers.
 

Center for Personal Assistive Services

The CPAS website has a wealth of information regarding personal assistance services, including research, training, dissemination, and technical assistance. Personal assistance includes paid assistive personnel, family caregivers, and devices that promote independence. A very large website that covers a broad range of information, research, and issues around assistive services. Includes webcasts, journal articles, links, presentations, webcasts, policies, guides for caregivers and workers, guides for workplaces, legislation and state-by-state resources.
 

Consult Geri RN

"ConsultGeriRN.org is the evidence-based geriatric clinical nursing website of The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University's College of Nursing." ConsultGeriRN.org is part of the "practice" portion of the Hartford Institute of Geriatric Nursing. "ConsultGeriRN.org addresses the need that many nurses face to improve older adult patient outcomes through better staff education and access to evidence-based knowledge."

On ConsultGeriRN.org you will find evidence-based Geriatric protocols for managing common geriatric syndromes and conditions; portals to specialty nursing associations' geriatric care knowledge bases and national geriatric websites; the Try This Assessment tools series with over 30nationally recommended instruments for use with older adults; Hospital competencies for older adults for use in nurse orientation and evaluation and much more.

Suggestions for use: This is an excellent resource for nurses at all levels. Students will see modeling of nurse-patient interaction, assessment techniques, and more. Instructors can use portions of videos in class and refer students to videos for independent study. The tools are useful in all care settings: Acute care, Population/community-based nursing, and long-term care.
 

Delirium in the Older Person

A web page developed by the Vancouver Island Health Authority Mental Health and Addiction Services Agency. This is a very specific resource for distinguishing delirium it is geared towards families and health professionals.

They have developed many PDF downloads that are available for free in the subject areas of About Delirium, Quick Reference Tools, Prevention, Recognition, Assessment, Intervention, Quizzes to practice your delirium knowledge and Professional Practice Resources as well as book recommendations on the subject. There is also an engaging video called Delirium in the Older Person Family Guide with three different parts.

Suggestions for use: Have students watch the videos, download the PDFs and take the quizzes about delirium.
 

E-Aging

Western Australian Center for Health Aging online aging resource. Developed after focus groups with audiences to determine their needs. Ten modules each with an interactive case study to deepen the learning. Each module has objectives, a pre-module test, and resources with PowerPoint downloads. Also within each objective is a case study, which includes images, history of complaint, medical history, medication history, social history and assessments and an interactive interview where you click on the question to get the answer from the client. The final state of the interview includes a physical examination where you can hover your mouse over different body parts to get different results. Then, you get to see the results of various tests and select the diagnosis you think most appropriate; feedback is given on all options.

Suggestions for use: Have students complete a case study based on the topics they are currently covering. Module topics are delirium, continence, dementia, falls, depression, geriatric assessment and planning, stroke, rehabilitation, healthy aging and residential care.
 

Engage-IL

A web page developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Nursing to implement an online accredited Interprofessional (IP) Geriatrics Training and foster campus-community collaborative partnerships to meet the needs of older adults in the state of Illinois.

25 learning modules on geriatric topics offering free continuing education credits for medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy and social work. Students and professionals will need to create a free account to access the learning modules. They use the ANCC for the nursing CE standards and Rush University is an approved provider for physical therapy (216.000272), occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, social work (159.001203), nutrition, speech-audiology, and psychology by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation CE.

Suggestions for use: have students complete appropriate modules in perpetration for in-class flipped classroom activities.
 

Geriatric Pain

This web resource is to identify and share best practice tools and resources that support recommendations for good pain assessment and management in older adults. The website is organized into categories of emphasis, with tools selected to assist nurses with responsibility for pain care in the nursing home. Free evidence-based tools and best practices for nurses who work in nursing homes.

Suggestions for use: Faculty can provide students with easy-to-use resources on pain and addiction terminology as well interventions such as the WHO Ladder, side effects management, non-drug management, and a brief introduction to Serial Trial Intervention. Faculty can review the communication tools with students when studying pain management. Review a list of myths about pain with a "reality" explanation, including a table listing assessment and intervention approaches for specific older adults and family barriers to pain management.
 

Geriatrics and Palliative Care Blog

Forum for discourse, recent news and research, and freethinking commentary. Won the Best Clinical Weblog of 2010. Content Brief review of palliative care and geriatrics for faculty/students - information is based on expert opinion.

Suggestions for use: Faculty and students can access the site for review on palliative care, end-of-life care, and geriatrics. Faculty can have students explore current concerns and perspectives of a wide range of health care providers.
 

Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)

This Website provides information about recognizing delirium(new mental confusion). It also describes a program that prevents delirium in hospitalized older people, the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP).

Suggestions for use: Students can review delirium, safety in transitioning from hospital to home, and how to avoid confusion in the hospital.
 

Improving Nursing Home Compare: Five-star quality rating system.

Center for Medicaid and Medicare developed an online PowerPoint Presentation to inform consumers on changes to how they are improving their website Nursing Home Compare, An in-depth PowerPoint explaining their 5-star rating system and how the system is applied to individual nursing homes. Background information and screenshots of their new web interface are shared.

Suggestions for use: Review for a deeper understanding of how CMS regulates nursing homes and provides this knowledge to the public.
 

Making Oregon Vital for Elders (MOVE)

This national grassroots organization is committed to changing the aging culture in America. Oregonians from a variety of organizations, developed a statewide coalition in which ideas and actions come together to support culture change. "Culture change has been defined by the Pioneer Network as "a transformation anchored in values and beliefs that return control to elders and those who work closest with them. Its ultimate vision is to create a culture of aging that is 'life-affirming, satisfying, humane, and meaningful.' Cultural change can transform a 'facility into a 'home,' a 'resident' into a 'person,' and a 'schedule' into a 'choice'.

Suggestions for use: Faculty and students can use this website to connect with other organizations in Oregon and access resources dedicated to empowering elders and learning more about culture change. This site has tools for measuring readiness and artifacts for culture change.
 

Medicare: Health and drug plans

Medicare.gov is a consumer beneficiary Website that provides access to information about Medicare, Medicare health plans, contact information, and publications, as well as information about health care fraud and abuse and nursing homes. Content Tools with "personalized search (e.g. entering zip code) may provide you with more accurate cost estimates and coverage information." Provides basic Medicare benefits Parts A, B, C, and D knowledge.

Suggestions for use: Faculty and students can use this site for Medicare information and the complexities of Medicare. Useful for chronic illness, population-based nursing, and leadership courses to understand federal health care benefits for people over 65 years old.
 

Nursing Home Compare

A step-by-step Medicare guide on comparing nursing homes. Find Nursing Homes in your area. Search by name, city, county, state, or ZIP code. Compare the quality of the nursing Homes you're considering using the Five-Star Quality Ratings, health inspection results, nursing home staff data, quality measures, and fire safety inspection results.

Suggestions for use: Students can learn about evaluating and comparing nursing homes, filing complaints, and nursing home client rights. Useful for chronic illness, population-based nursing, and leadership courses.
 

Older Adult Focus

This is an excellent resource full of useful information and tools: Use the subject index to find resources on a specific topic, such as driving, polypharmacy, or dementia. Use the teaching tool index to find videos, audio clinical stories, puzzles, evidence-based assessment tools, and other materials ready for you to use in teaching and learning. Nine competencies have been developed to assist and structure your learning. Three of them focus on individual older adults, three on older adults and caregiver issues, the last three focus on older adults and system issues.

Suggestions for use: Nursing faculty can access the multiple learning activities that include assessment tools, audio clinical stories, case studies, fact sheets, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations on a wide variety of topics in gerontology. Students can complete various competencies, for instance, increasing an awareness of attitudes, values, and expectations about aging and their impact on the care of older adults and their families. These excellent and thorough competencies can be used as self-paced, independent learning activities.
 

PHI Training

PHI offers both home- and facility-based providers training and organizational development services to manage change and create dynamic relationship-centered organizations that better serve elders, people with disabilities, and their families. Adult Abuse & Neglect Prevention Training: Twelve modules, each 60 minutes long, focus on developing skills to prevent abuse and neglect, as well as other communications and relational skills, including detailed modules with fun activities such as "behavior bingo" with detailed descriptions of how to use curricula.

Suggestion for use: Resource for students to view best practices in long-term care (LTC) & a variety of community-based settings. Portions of the curricula could be used regarding fall prevention or Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Courses: Health promotion, chronic & community-based nursing.
 

Pioneer Network: Changing the Culture of Aging

A collection of culture change tools, resources, & information for providers, consumers, educators,  policymakers. This is a comprehensive site that explains culture change, why it is important, and how to accomplish it. There are tools for consumers, providers, and policy makers. Includes a section on the definition of culture change, patronizing speech or "elderspeak", and how words affect culture and attitudes.

Suggestions for use: Have students observe interactions of staff or students with elders after reading module and identify "elderspeak" issues. Have them practice and give feedback to each other. Have students use the "readiness for culture change assessment" as part of an environmental assessment of a long term care or residential care agency.
 

Portal of Geriatric Online Education

POGOe is a repository with some original content organized into: Content Library, Product Library, Video Library, Geriatric Competencies, and Forums. ReCAP (Repository of electronic Critically Appraised Papers) is a valuable resource for the latest evidence-based articles. The "Product Library" makes searching for geriatric Educational Materials easy. They are listed by title and resource type. There are many useful resources on this site.

Some videos reviewed by faculty that may be especially useful are listed in the video-library

Suggestions for use: Many of the videos could be used to enhance case studies or "virtual" client assessments for acute care, chronic care, and community based courses. Portions of videos could be used in class to spark discussions or as preparation for clinical.
 

Quality Measures: Nursing Home Quality Initiatives

Nursing home quality initiatives including downloadable documents in pdf format. Also links to MDS 3.0 information.

Suggestions for use: Have students research quality measures for nursing homes. Do a "mock review" of one measure. Use for health promotion, population, leadership, and integrative practicum. Excellent resource for learning how Medicare evaluates nursing homes for safety and quality issues.
 

Resources for Teaching Gerontological Nursing

This website (product of the Northwest Coalition for Geriatric Nursing Education) is designed to provide a variety of teaching resources for nursing faculty who want to include content on older adults in their curricula. Rich website for instructors deserves a full investigation by anyone who teaches geriatric nursing or wants to teach gerontology. Many links to resources & activities for students. Topics include: environmental assessment, functional assessment, falls prevention, global aging, medications, sensory changes, and transitions to different health care settings.

Suggestions for use: Many activities & resources for students with thorough descriptions for suggested use on the website.
 

Teepa Snow Dementia Expert

Occupational therapist Teepa Snow is a dementia expert who trains and consults for health care professionals and families privately. Content Videos and links to videos explaining dementia & care techniques for the resident with dementia.

Suggestions for use: Show videos in class with discussion after. Independent study for students about dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Appropriate for community/population-based courses, chronic illness, & health promotion.
 

United Hospital Fund (UHF) Next Step in Care: Next Step in Care Homepage

Designed to help family caregivers of chronically or seriously ill patients navigate the health care system. Next Step in Care provides easy-to-use guides to help family caregivers and health care providers work closely together to plan and implement safe and smooth transitions for chronically or seriously ill patients. " A campaign of United Hospital Fund. It contains many resources for family caregivers with pages that are easy to read and navigate. Provides a guide: "How to Get the Most from the Next Step in Care Website."  Caregiver guides are also provided in Chinese, Spanish, & Russian.

Suggestions for use: Use the "Reducing stress…" guide for students in acute care as background information or as reflection post-clinical. The "self-assessment" could be used in Leadership or Population-based courses. Independent study: Have students evaluate the site from the family caregiver's perspective. Would they refer families to this site?

These resources were developed with financial support from the Oregon Department of Human Services (Grant Agreement # 150472: Academic and Practice Partnerships to Strengthen Care for Older Adults in Residential and Assisted Living Settings, J. Cartwright, PI).

Related ECLEPS pages

Partners

Bridge Retirement & Assisted Living
201 SW Bridge St, Grants Pass, OR 97526

Marquis Autumn Hills
6630 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Portland, OR 97225

Marquis Wilson
30900 SW Parkway Ave, Wilson, OR 97070

Pacific Gardens Alzheimer's Special Care Center
17309 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97230

Providence Benedictine Orchard House Personalized Living Center
550 S. Main St. MT. Angel, OR 97362

Providence Elder Gresham
17727 E Burnsides St, Portland, OR 97230

Riverside Terrace
1970 NW Harvard Ave, Roseburg, OR 97471

St Anthony Village
3560 SE 79th Ave, Portland, OR 97206