Calvary Launches Groundbreaking RN Residency Program

Making high-quality palliative and end-of-life care more accessible in our community

(BRONX, April 22) — Calvary Hospital will start a new 12-month, first-of-its-kind advanced education and training program this July for registered nurses from the tristate area who are interested in specializing and practicing in the rapidly growing fields of palliative and end-of-life care, it was announced today.

“Calvary is responding to the increased need for expert, compassionate palliative and end-of-life care in our community by educating more registered nurses to meet the complex needs of patients and their families,” said Frank A. Calamari, Calvary President and CEO.

Known as the CalvaryCare® RN Residency Program in palliative and end-of-life care, it provides a full-time salary and immediate benefits to recent graduates and early to mid-career nurses, who want to specialize in palliative and end-of-life care in both in-hospital and community hospice settings. No other RN Residency provides the full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient care that Calvary can provide, according to residency program director Betty Nelson, PhD RN.

“There is nothing like Calvary. We are the only fully-accredited acute-care specialty hospital like this anywhere in the country. We are specialists in palliative and end-of-life care and we look after the needs of more than 20,000 patients and family members every year. The level of expertise, support, and instruction we will provide to our nurse residents is unmatched,” said Dr. Nelson.

The Residency will invest in an initial cohort of at least eight nurses who will learn at Calvary Hospital and within the organization’s New York metropolitan area home-based hospice program, led by expert Calvary clinician-educators and highly skilled preceptors and mentors.

“Health care does not have the number of hospice and palliative care specialists required to keep up with the number of people who living longer with serious illnesses. I talk to nurses all the time – students in clinical disciplines and even critical care nurses. They don’t feel well-prepared to provide end-of-life care or palliative care,” explained Dr. Nelson.

“The CalvaryCare® RN Residency Program is research-driven, evidence-based, and focused on comfort and compassion. The science of care, in addition to our love of care, guides our clinical practice, 24/7, everywhere,” added Dr. Nelson.

Courses in the program will cover areas such as pathophysiology of diseases, advanced pain management, counseling and communication skills, and advanced care planning. Certification in Palliative Care will be offered through the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA).

“Palliative and end-of-life care are rewarding fields. They draw on all of your skills – inter-professional, interpersonal, medical, bio-psycho-social, and pastoral. Nurses in this field are elite specialists driven by a mission to serve,” added Dr. Nelson.

The CalvaryCare® RN Residency Program is supported by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, which provides grants to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

To apply for a place in the CalvaryCare® RN Residency Program and to learn more, visit www.calvaryhospital.org/RNresidency

 

Contact: Mike Donahue mdonahue@calvaryhospital.org;
Tel:  718-518-2000 x2246 | Cell:  917-5814833 or 585-510-3140
Director, Public Affairs and Community Relations

---

Since 1899, Calvary has been the nation’s only fully accredited acute care specialty hospital devoted exclusively to providing palliative care to adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. Each year, thousands of patients receive CalvaryCare® throughout the greater New York area. To learn how Calvary can help you and your family, please visit: www.calvaryhospital.org.