Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Receives NICHE Designation

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital recently earned the designation of being a NICHE hospital.

NICHE, or Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, is the only national designation indicating a hospital’s commitment to elder care excellence. Inova Mount Vernon Hospital is one of the first hospitals to receive the NICHE designation in Fairfax County, according to a release issued by Inova.

“Through NICHE, the Inova Mount Vernon Hosptal  clinicians, and staff engage in ongoing training and are able to share information, knowledge, and expertise with other NICHE hospitals,”  Inova Mount Vernon Hospital CEO Barbara Doyle said in a release. “With this designation, our patients can rest assured that they are receiving the best possible quality of care with the most up-to-date treatment options.”

NICHE assists the hospital in continuous improvement in geriatric nursing knowledge and patient outcomes, while enhancing work satisfaction in caring for older adults.

“With this designation, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital is now part of a community of resources provided by NICHE,” Medical Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist Laura Shanks R.N. said in a statement. “Because older people face greater challenges when hospitalized, it’s important to have access to resources that NICHE can provide, like educational programs, training, mentorships and resources for developing evidence-based protocols to improve the outcomes for our older adult patients.”

Several nurses at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital have already received their American Geriatric Nursing Certification (ANCC) and many are pursing currently pursuing ANCC through a contact of the NICHE program.