Clinical Scholars Program

The Geriatric Clinical Scholars Partnership (GCSP) Program is funded by a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation. Two Geriatric Clinical Scholars Partnership Teams (faculty, advanced practice nurse, doctoral student and undergraduate student) are supported each year in examining a clinical or organizational problem related to geriatric nursing care and using research to craft a strategy for addressing the problem. The problem to be studied relates to the faculty member's program of research.

The GCSP intends to: 1) create teams of scholars, clinicians, and students to improve gerontological patient care through research and research utilization, 2) expose and excite undergraduate and graduate nursing students to gerontological nursing, advanced practice nursing, and research, 3) mentor doctoral students in how to lead a research team, 4) contribute to the faculty member's program of research and 5) develop and expand team members' skills in implementing the research process and practice innovations. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the Katherine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership.

Hartford-Densford Scholars on the 2002-2003 GCSP teams studied:

• Pain Assessment in Cognitively Impaired Hip Fracture Patients
• Continuity of Care and Improving Care for Hospitalized Older Adults

Resulting publications include:

• Feldt, KS, Bjorklund, D & MCClurg, S (2003). Improving pain treatment in cognitively impaired hip fracture patients. Gerontologist, 43, Special issue 1, 118.

The 2003-2005 GCSP teams are studying:

• Skin Health and Care in Hospitalized patients at Risk for Perineal Dermatitis
• Upper Extremity Aerobic Training for Critical Limb Ischemia