The Advanced Practice Provider Stroke Fellowship Program (APP) was created by the Daemen Department of Nursing in collaboration with Mercy Hospital of Buffalo to provide specialized training for nurse practitioners in the hospital’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit. Daemen alumni Alyssa Ciccarella ‘12 and Syntyia Taylor ‘18 are the very first two nurse practitioners to have formally completed the program.
Beginning in the fall of 2019, Mercy Hospital and Daemen College worked as partners in the Daemen College Health Care Strategic Alliance, charged to advise, promote and support state of the art professional education opportunities. Mercy’s Neuroscience Services division and Daemen worked together to develop the Advanced Practice Provider Stroke Fellowship Program, designed to provide an educational, on the job experience to support the nurse practitioner in their pursuit of caring for neurologically compromised patients.
“This program provides the initial educational foundation for newly hired Advanced Practice Providers into neuroscience/stroke services. By partnering with Daemen, we are able to offer on-the-job education enhancing the orientation. This online fellowship experience is provided in a self-paced manner which allows the participant the time to understand the information, and utilize colleagues for further understanding,” stated Nancy Stoll, RN, BSN, director of Neuroscience Clinical Services at Mercy Hospital.
Assistant Professor Dr. Martha Kershaw EdD, RN notes the strength of the nursing program at Daemen and spoke about the fellowship opportunity. “This mutually beneficial partnership will make a significant contribution to the continued development and intensity of training for the Advanced Practice Provider,” Kershaw said. “Within the Nursing Department, we have the expertise to develop the didactic education and the clinical experiences come from the practice partner. By providing support to our practice partners, this strengthens relationships with the healthcare community. This program models a structure that could be used in other partnerships.”
When asked about her completion of the program, Syntyia Taylor looks to the future. “The Daemen College Nurse Practitioner Neurology Fellowship Program has helped me to develop into my role as a neuroscience nurse practitioner. This program was designed to assist the entry level nurse practitioner with an advanced perspective of stroke and general neurology. It helped with neuro-anatomy and my understanding of the structures and functions of the brain. I was able to understand the different types of stroke and the structures of the brain that are affected. I learned how to care for patients after a stroke who have had interventions such as mechanical thrombectomy, ultimately improving the patient’s outcomes. This program is geared to better help the novice nurse practitioner to care for the patients with neurological disorders. Completing this program gives me a sense of confidence to be able to perform my job to the best of my ability.
Being one of the first people to go through this program is encouraging to know that Daemen College and myself are paving the way for other providers to learn more about stroke and treatment.”