Parkinson's Disease Foundation and The Edmond J. Safra Foundation Join Together to Train Next Generation of Nurses in Parkinson's Disease

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation announced today their collaboration on expanding and enhancing The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program to improve care for the nearly one million people in the United States living with Parkinson's disease.  

It is estimated that the number of people with Parkinson's disease may double by 2030.  The disease is chronic and progressive, and varies greatly from person to person.  Research suggests that the increased preparation of nurses can lead to significant improvement in the well-being of people with Parkinson's disease.  Despite these findings, undergraduate nursing students and their faculty members report the need for better education and training in Parkinson's disease.

"When I was a nursing student, my textbook included exactly one sentence on Parkinson's disease. This left me ill-prepared to care for my patients and their families.  The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program allows nurses like me, who have spent our careers specializing in Parkinson's disease, to share our knowledge with nursing faculty, who can in turn teach their students to meet the needs of this growing community.  I am thrilled that PDF will now be our partner in this effort," said Gwyn Vernon, M.S.N., R.N., C.R.N.P., Co-Founder and National Director of The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, and nurse practitioner in the Department of Neurology/Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of the University of Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

Established by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation in 2009, The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program offers faculty members from undergraduate nursing programs a 40-hour curriculum that includes academic instruction, hands-on experience with people with Parkinson's disease, independent study, and mentorship from nurse specialists at nationally recognized movement disorder centers.  More than 120 nurse faculty have completed the program, returning to their classrooms better able to train the next generation.  All alumni are expected to complete a project to benefit nursing education or patient care in Parkinson's disease.  Many have gone on to become local leaders in Parkinson's disease care, with some developing into national leaders who are changing nursing education.  The program will now be included among the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's wide range of educational efforts.

Mrs. Lily Safra, Chairwoman of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, commented, "We are so proud to have established and funded The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program over the past five years, and I am absolutely delighted to have the Parkinson's Disease Foundation as our partner going forward.  Thanks to this program, more than 8,000 new nursing students each year are receiving education in caring for people with Parkinson's disease that they would not have had otherwise, and this number will only grow in the years to come.  I congratulate Gwyn Vernon and all of her colleagues on their success, and I am grateful for the support of PDF in helping the program reach even higher heights."

"The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program has been ahead of its time in recognizing the training of nurses as a critical condition to improving care in Parkinson's disease.  At PDF, we too are dedicated to improving care for people living with Parkinson's disease, while we continue the search for a cure.  By shaping tomorrow's leaders, we ensure that the next generation of nurses has the preparation needed to fight Parkinson's disease on the front lines," added Robin Anthony Elliott, President of PDF.

The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at PDF hosts up to eight trainings a year around the country, with nurse faculty selected through a competitive application process.  Upcoming training dates appear below.  Nurse faculty who apply and are accepted can earn up to 40 continuing education units.*  Applications and further information can be found online at www.pdf.org/edmondjsafranursing or requested by contacting PDF at (800) 457-6676 or [email protected].

Visiting Nurse Faculty Program: Upcoming Opportunities

Wednesday, December 3-Thursday, December 4, 2014-Philadelphia, PA
University of Pennsylvania Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center  

Thursday, February 26-Friday, February 27, 2015-Miami, FL
Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Thursday, May 28-Friday, May 29, 2015-Philadelphia, PA
University of Pennsylvania Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center  

Thursday, May 28-Friday, May 29, 2015-Baltimore, MD
The Johns Hopkins Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center

Tuesday, June 2-Wednesday, June 3, 2015-Minneapolis, MN
Park Nicollet Struthers Parkinson's Disease Center 

Monday, August 3-Thursday, August 6, 2015-Boston, MA
Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center

Additional trainings are being planned for 2015 at Oregon Health & Sciences University Parkinson Center and Movement Disorders Clinic in Portland, OR; Northwestern University Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center in Chicago, IL; and NYU Langone's Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center in New York, NY.

*This activity has been submitted to the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses for approval to award contact hours. The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.  CEU hours may differ for auditors.

About The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at PDF
The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program (EJS-VNF) at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is a 40-hour accredited "train the trainer" program which improves nursing care in Parkinson's disease by training faculty leaders across the United States.  Since 2009, the program has trained more than 120 nurse faculty, who have in turn shared their knowledge with 8,000 undergraduate nursing students to ensure that the next generation of nurses is prepared to fight Parkinson's disease on the front lines.  Many of the program's alumni have gone on to become local leaders in Parkinson's disease care, with some developing into national leaders who are changing nursing education.  Since 2014, the program has been housed at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation as part of PDF's commitment to training health care professionals.  To learn about the program and to apply to upcoming trainings, please visit www.pdf.org/edmondjsafranursing.

About the Edmond J. Safra Foundation
The Edmond J. Safra Foundation supports hundreds of projects related to science and medicine, education, religion, culture and humanitarian relief in over 40 countries.  The Foundation has provided significant funding for Parkinson's disease research and patient care at dozens of hospitals and institutes in places as varied as Natal (Brazil), Toronto, New York, Grenoble, Paris, London, and Jerusalem. For more information, visit www.edmondjsafra.org.  

About the Parkinson's Disease Foundation
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy.  We are working for the nearly one million people in the US who live with Parkinson's disease by funding promising scientific research while supporting people living with Parkinson's disease through educational programs and services.  Since its founding in 1957, PDF has dedicated over $105 million to fund the work of leading scientists throughout the world and over $44 million to support national education and advocacy initiatives.  As part of its educational initiatives, PDF is committed to providing health professionals with the tools they need to understand the latest in Parkinson's disease research and care, to treat it effectively and to find resources in their communities. PDF offers free patient education materials and continuing education opportunities for health professionals — such as bi-monthly webinars and online courses for nurses and physical therapists — the cornerstone of which is The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.

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SOURCE Parkinson's Disease Foundation

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