As reported in Parkinson’s News Today, three nurses have been awarded $10,000 by The Parkinson’s Foundation to carry out local projects for Parkinson’s patients to better their experience. Each of the awardees have participated in a 50 hour program that trains them to be more specifically in tune to the needs of patients with Parkinson’s. The winners will use their money to establish their own local projects with the mission of bettering the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease that effects the central nervous system, disrupting mobility. It begins with characteristic mild tremors and progresses into stiffness, imbalance, slowness, rigidity, stronger tremors, and eventually, the inability to walk and possible hallucinations and delusions. Patients usually begin to develop symptoms after age 50.
The Winning Projects
At Lousiana Tech University, awardee Professor Donna G. Hood, PhD plans to expand the Parkinson’s Resource Center program to connect local patients with Parkinson’s, as well as training and mentoring other soon-to-be nurses to support the initiative extend further. The center was originally launched in 2018 by a Parkinson’s Foundation award in order to bring resources to patients in rural Louisiana and Arkansas that currently lack access.
Dr. Mo-Kyung Sin, an associate professor of nursing at Seattle University, will work on improving the education of Parkinson’s by assessing a Parkinson’s ambassador program for nursing students. She will run different educational programs to get nurses up to speed on the specific needs of patients with Parkinson’s.
Assistant Professor of Nursing Stephanie Stewart of Missouri Western State University will create the program ‘the Parkinson’s Journey’ to help patients with Parkinson’s feel connected and included. Their hope is that by providing greater access and information, patients will experience a better quality of life.
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In a press release, the VP of the Parkinson’s Foundation Elizabeth Pollard said, “Nurses are vital in caring for people with Parkinson’s in all settings, from a clinic to an emergency room. The Parkinson’s Foundation … is excited to continue providing our Edmund J. Safra Visiting Nurse Scholars with an opportunity to develop their independent projects and provide unique tools to further educate nurses to improve PD care.” As education improves, patients can expect their needs to be understood as they interact with the medical world.
To learn more about the Parkinson’s Foundation, click here.
