# Utilizing the Nursing Professional Development Model to create and sustain nursing education aimed at improving the care of patients with Parkinson’s Disease in the hospital

## TL;DR

This paper describes using a nursing education model to improve hospital care for Parkinson's Disease patients.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the application of the NPD Model for ongoing education in a low-volume, high-risk patient population.

## Key findings

- The NPD Model was effective in providing hospital-wide education for Parkinson's Disease patient care.
- Ongoing education improved safety outcomes for Parkinson's Disease patients in the hospital.
- The approach is presented as a reference for other hospitals facing similar challenges.

## Abstract

The Nurse Professional Development Model (NPD) has been utilized to improve quality of care for several conditions. Patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are susceptible to higher risks while in the hospital. Educational efforts for this patient population are challenged by the small, disbursed number of patients as well as increased turn-over and reliance on temporary nursing staff. To properly care for this patient group, any education has to be hospital wide and ongoing for maintenance of competency. We have used the NPD Model to initiate education for new incoming nurses as well as for continued education for a program that requires hospital-wide reach. Our utilization of the NPD Model for this high risk, low volume patient population has helped us improve the safety of this patient population in the hospital. With this manuscript we detail the need and the educational platform with the hope of it serving as a reference for other institutions facing similar challenges.