USF Nursing’s Dr. Meredeth A. Rowe Mentors GNLA Fellow

Meredeth A. Rowe, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Professor and Endowed Chair at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, is serving as the Leadership Mentor for 2012-2013 Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy (GNLA) Cohort III Fellow, Karen Reynolds, DNP, CNS-BC. Reynolds is an Advanced Practice Nurse and Education, Professional Development and Research Clinical Nurse Specialist at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. This story was also featured in a Herald Tribune story published on Nov. 12, 2012. To read their full story click here.

Dr. Rowe, a leading nurse scientist in geriatrics and Alzheimer’s research, will be Dr. Reynolds’ Leadership Mentor and Consultant during the18-month leadership development experience offered by the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Honor Society of Nursing. She will be working with Dr. Reynolds to design and implement a nursing intervention to improve recognition of delirium (acute confusion state) in patients in critical care units, particularly older adult patients.

“This leadership institute provides practicing nurses the opportunity to use evidence-based practice and research in the clinical areas to improve the care that older adult patients receive,” Dr. Rowe said. “This project is particularly important because older adults experiencing delirium will have longer hospital stay and higher mortality rates than those with the same conditions but no delirium.  Those who return home will have more cognitive deficits and functional decline as well.”

Dr. Rowe is nationally known for her experience in acute care and geriatric nursing, as well as her work with people with cognitive impairment including Alzheimer’s disease or autism, and their caregivers. Her work about the caregiving challenges has led to the development of the AlzAlert™ monitoring system, which can be used to manage nighttime activity, reducing injuries and giving the caregiver peace of mind. Law enforcement agencies across the United States guide their searches for lost persons with Alzheimer’s disease based on her research in this area.

“Dr. Rowe’s broad experience in both acute care and geriatric influence is a perfect match for the opportunities sought through the GNLA and my professional aspirations,” Dr. Reynolds said. “Dr. Rowe’s recognition as a leading nurse scientist in geriatrics and Alzheimer’s research is inspiring as I pursue this opportunity through the GNLA. With this relationship, insight into leading and impacting initiatives for older adults will be at the forefront. I look to Dr. Rowe as a leader in these initiatives, and seek to learn from her leadership qualities that have proven successful in her passion for older adults.”

As GNLA Fellow, Dr. Reynolds will learn to develop the leadership skills of geriatric nurses in positions of influence in a variety of health care settings. She will also plan and implement an organizational geriatric specific protocol for nurses called Identification and Interventions for Delirioum in the Acute Care Setting at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. She will join a select community of national geriatric nursing professionals influencing practice advancement and policy on care for older adults throughout the United States.

“While we have advanced the physiologic care and cure of many disease processes, we have irresponsibly averted the insult and injury potential that impacts older adults cognitive and functional status as a result of hospitalization in acute care,” Dr. Reynolds said. “Every patient is deserving of care and cure that does not have long term effects on quality of life. Advancing nursing and patient care to align with best evidence and outcomes for our aging society is imperative for both quantity and quality of life.”