Jayne Josephsen, a professor in the School of Nursing, was accepted into the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at the Parkinson’s Foundation. Josephsen was one of just 24 faculty leaders in the U.S. chosen for the prestigious program.
The 40-hour accredited “train the trainer” program, held at the Swedish Neuroscience Center in Seattle, trains faculty to educate their nursing students on ways to improve care of those who battle Parkinson’s disease. Josephsen will study didactics, clinical time with patients, participation in a Parkinson’s support group and be given the opportunity to develop an independent project.
According to Camila Gadala-Maria, a professional education associate with the foundation, the number of people who live with the disease is expected to double by 2040 to nearly 13 million individuals worldwide.
“Teaching nursing students in the classroom is one of the best ways to prepare them for treating people with Parkinson’s when they graduate,” she said.