NICHE is a widely adopted nurse-driven program that helps hospitals and healthcare organizations improve the care of older adults. The idea is to provide sensitive and outstanding care to all patients 65 and over.
Deeper bive
The NICHE program is designed to upgrade the quality of care for older adult patients by increasing awareness of geriatric issues, improving staff competence in nursing care of the elderly, and supporting the implementation of hospital geriatric protocols. The program provides guiding principles and tools to change the culture of healthcare facilities and achieve patient-centered care for older adults. Using NICHE guidelines, the entire caregiving team works together to provide the most coordinated, effective care possible. The goal of NICHE is to enhance nurses’ knowledge and skills to position nurses as leaders who systematically implement evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes for older adults. NICHE is currently in about 240 hospitals in more than 40 states, and has trained more than 30,000 learners worldwide.