Congratulations to our Nurse Practitioner Beth Abate, DNP, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, ANP-BC, RN-BC, for her recent publication in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. Her co-authored research article, “Improving Education and Communication in an Assisted Living Facility to Reduce Avoidable Emergency Department Transfers: A Quality Improvement Project,” was featured in the geriatric nursing industry’s most trusted clinical journal for more than 40 years.

Beth’s research focuses on the effectiveness of training and communication tools for intervention strategies to reduce unnecessary emergency department transfers of assisted living facility residents. This includes analyzing two communication protocols—Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) and Stop and Watch—to standardize clinical communication among licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and clinical providers. Beth and team recruited 29 LPNs working in an assisted living facility with at least 172 units to participate in an intervention intended to improve knowledge on geriatric syndromes.

This evidence-based, educational intervention project aimed to improve nursing staff geriatric knowledge, monitor nurse adherence to using the SBAR and Stop and Watch tools, and assess overall satisfaction with use of SBAR. Pre- and post-intervention testing revealed improved LPN knowledge of geriatric syndromes, and a satisfaction survey indicated positive LPN acceptance of the standardized communication tools, specifically adherence with the use of the SBAR tool was 87%.

A key piece to ensuring adequate and timely care of assisted living facility residents is increasing geriatric knowledge among LPNs and standardizing communication tools. SBAR and Stop and Watch have been effective in facilitating improved communications in other healthcare settings. Clear and effective communication between nurses and providers can significantly improve clinical outcomes and patient safety, reducing unnecessary emergency department transfers from assisted living facilities.

Beth graduated from The Catholic University of America in 2009 with a master’s degree in nursing, adult nurse practitioner track. In May 2017, Beth graduated with her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Her capstone project was titled “Methods to Reduce Avoidable Emergency Departments Visits in Assisted Living Facility.” Her passion is to promote aging in place. In her spare time, Beth enjoys spending time with her family.

To learn more about Beth’s co-authored research and the impact of effective communication in assisted living facilities, read her full research article here.