News
Spectrum Learning Modules Program brings GVSU Nursing Education Directly to Area Nurses
April 28, 2021
Spectrum Health’s nurse care managers see the whole patient picture, working with teams across the hospital to provide comprehensive care and develop a discharge plan. However, once discharged, patients can struggle with care issues due to social determinants of health including lack of stable housing, financial security, and access to healthy foods. These issues can lead to re-admittance and worsening health.
To extend the support nurse care managers provide to patients to fill this gap in care, Spectrum Health partnered with Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing to bring care coordination training directly to their nurses.
Spectrum Health approached GVSU with the opportunity to collaborate on a highly-tailored program to educate their nurses on value-based care concepts including empathic communication, goal setting, and interprofessional communication. Utilizing content from the Master of Science in Nursing program and feedback from Spectrum, GSVU developed Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits tailored to Spectrum Health’s needs. The series of educational modules are online and condensed into 30-minute modules, which provide flexibility to easily fit within the care manager’s workday.
“These learning modules are novel because we listened to what Spectrum Health wanted, their program outcomes, and we built an educational program around them,” explains Dr. Lola Coke, acting dean of the Kirkhof College of Nursing.
The three introductory modules are free for Spectrum Health nursing staff and enhance nursing practice in real-time, enabling nurses to learn while on shift and immediately apply those concepts into their work.
“These modules were developed utilizing the expertise of both organizations,” says Coke. “The Spectrum Health Care and Utilization Management Department brings expertise of the nurse’s role and GVSU supplements knowledge to provide excellent patient-centered care.”
Unlike pre-packaged learning modules, thanks to the close partnership between GVSU and Spectrum, specific language and educational examples are used along with direct access to GVSU faculty.
“This thoughtful approach to care will have an immediate, significant impact on our patients,” explains Lindsey Eastman, Director of Care and Utilization Management. “Through these modules, we can educate our nurses to provide quality care transitions from the hospital to the home. This value-based care model can help lower the cost of care and lower re-admissions.”
In the future, the plan is to expand the module offerings to include more education. Spectrum Nurses will have the opportunity to apply this educational program toward badges, certificates, or graduate programs at GVSU.