The College of New Rochelle Offers First On-site
Palliative Care Program at Blythedale Children’s Hospital
Long-term Objective Is to Equip Entire Staff with Advanced Skills in Handling Young Patients with Life-Limiting and Life-Threatening Concerns

New Rochelle, NY, April 26, 2006 -- Last month, The College of New Rochelle (CNR) School of Nursing launched the first on-site program in Palliative Care for staff at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. It is open to all direct care givers. The current interdisciplinary class of 25 students includes nurses, physicians, nursing attendants, psychologists, and therapists (respiratory, speech, physical). The program, offered in seven full day sessions, provides advanced training in Palliative Care to hospital staff.  The remaining sessions will take place on three consecutive Fridays, April 28, May 5, and May 12.

Unlike hospice care, which specifically addresses end-of-life care, Palliative Care is much broader.  It encompasses a host of physical, emotional and psychological issues for patients of any age who may cope with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition for years, as well as extensive periods of rehabilitation.  For example, younger patients may deal with cancer, pulmonary disease, trauma, cerebral palsy, or spina bifida.

“People with chronic medical conditions are living longer, fueling the need for chronic health care services nationwide,” said Dr. Lynda Shand, Associate Professor, CNR’s School of Nursing. “By offering this program on-site at Blythedale, we want to work with the hospital to sharpen its staff’s skills in palliative care.  This is an important area that is expected to increase dramatically in the future.”

“Dealing with life-limiting and life-threatening issues is always difficult.  When the patient is a child, perhaps even a newborn, it becomes even more complex,” said Dr. Linda Hurwitz, Chief Nursing Officer at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. “We are delighted that CNR along with Blythedale is pioneering this program at our health care facility.  It will be a great asset for our entire staff to approach each child and family with the same philosophy and framework.”

Blythedale is a children's hospital based in Valhalla, NY, dedicated to improving the health status and quality of life of children with complex medical and rehabilitative needs.  It currently employs over 400 people.  CNR intends to repeat the on-site program several times to maximize the number of hospital staff with advanced Palliative Care skills.

In Fall 2006, CNR will become the first college in Westchester—and only the 15th in the nation—to offer a Post-Master’s Certificate in Palliative Care at its Main Campus that provides nurses with in-depth skills that are required to properly care for terminally ill patients. The new course of study, recently approved by the New York State Department of Education, is designed to meet the growing need for providing chronic health care services to patients in hospices, homes and hospital settings.

CNR’s courses will provide students with both traditional classroom learning and training in real-life settings. The introductory course, for example, will give students a holistic overview of patients and families—their diverse needs and expectations regarding the body, mind, and spirit.  As part of their training, students in the program will work with patients in hospice programs to learn the dimensions of suffering, loss, grief and bereavement and to develop relationships with individual patients. Students will examine “best practice” models of palliative care. The program will also analyze the legal and moral/ethical issues related to palliative care and the kinds of decisions that must be made at the end of life.

To be eligible for enrollment in the new Palliative Care certificate program, students must already hold a master’s degree in nursing. Palliative Care certification will require 18 course credit hours and 550 hours of clinical work. As is the case with CNR’s master’s degree programs, the size of the Palliative Care Certificate classes will be small. Limiting class sizes to approximately 10 students enables quality instruction and close interaction with faculty members.

The Palliative Care Certificate fits very well with CNR’s existing holistic and caring/healing philosophy, a tradition at the School of Nursing. The first in the nation to offer a master’s program in holistic nursing, the CNR School of Nursing recently launched a new Nurse Educator master’s program. CNR is also planning to construct a $25 million Wellness Center.  When it opens in 2007, the Wellness Center—unique in the New York metropolitan area—will bring together and integrate multiple disciplines to help students understand and practice the principles of healthy living and wellness throughout their lives.