The Norma F. Pfriem International Fellowship
in Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing
For
Immediate Release
Thursday,
April 17, 2008
Branford, Connecticut — The
Connecticut Hospice, Inc., the nation’s 1st hospice, proudly
announces the certification of 14 nurses from its first class of
The Norma F. Pfriem International Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative
Nursing. Funded by a generous grant merited by the Connecticut Hospice’s
long-standing reputation for its leadership as the premiere institute
for education and training in hospice and palliative care. The
Fellowship was established at the
Connecticut Hospice state-of-the-art teaching institution, with its
52 bed inpatient hospice-
hospital for adults and pediatrics and its complementary statewide
hospice home care in 2005. This fifteen month intensive program
focuses on principles of palliative care; interdisciplinary team
approach to patient and family; core concepts of symptom management,
and pharmacology. Hospice physicians and nurse practitioners,
pharmacists, social workers and guest lecturers lead monthly interdisciplinary
seminars, followed by case studies and peer discussion. Clinical
concepts are then applied in both the hospital and in home care,
with senior nurses serving as preceptors to the Fellows.
Professor Marilyn Harris, RN, MSN, CNAA, BC, FAAN and
Editor of Health Care Administration and Honorary Chair of the of
The Norma F. Pfriem International Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative
Nursing states, “since it’s founding in 2005, I have
the opportunity to work with the administration, staff, and Fellows,
participate in some of the educational programs, and celebrate the
successful certification of the Fellows as Hospice and Palliative
Care Nurses by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.
The patients and their families at The Connecticut Hospice are blessed
to receive care and caring from the staff. The staff, in return,
is blessed by the patients and families for whom they provide professional
care at such an important time of their lives. It is my pleasure
to offer congratulations to each Fellow who attained national recognition
through the certification process.” In June 2008 another
group of 38 fellows complete the 15 month program and become
eligible for national examination and certification .
Program director, Marianne Treantafilos, M.S.N., A.P.R.N.
and Vice-President of Clinical Services, Sandy Klimas, R.N., B.S.N.,
M.P.H., share Professor Harris’ enthusiasm at the success
of the Fellowship. “The entire professional community at Connecticut
Hospice has been enriched by participation in the Fellowship. Precepting
and lecturing by the interdisciplinary team is in itself a means
of learning, and engenders a spirit of renewed commitment to our
organizational mission to provide quality of life, comfort and dignity
to patients and families, based on the newest knowledge and provided
by the most highly skilled professionals.
Most of all, the journey that each one of our patients
and family are on, is made better by the knowledge and enhanced compassionate
care that the staff may bring, following this program.”
Contact: mtreant@hospice.com
