SU's DiBartolo Completes Parkinson's Foundation Visiting Nurse Faculty Program

SALISBURY, MD---Mary DiBartolo, professor of nursing at Salisbury University, recently completed the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

This program, funded by a donation from banker and philanthropist Edmond J. Safra, was developed to train nurse educators in Parkinson’s disease, so they may educate nursing students and clinical nurses, and improve overall care for persons with the neurodegenerative disorder.

The program consisted of two days of lecture by internationally known experts at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, two clinical observation days in a Parkinson’s disease center with mentorship by expert multidisciplinary team members, and attendance at a Parkinson’s patient/caregiver support group in the community.

In addition to the 40 contact hours, participants also were required to complete an independent project that would benefit nursing education in Parkinson’s disease and/or patient care. DiBartolo’s project consisted of preparing a presentation on caring for the hospitalized person with Parkinson’s disease, which she hopes to schedule to train staff at area hospitals.

To date, over 125 nursing educators representing 66 schools of nursing across the U.S. have been selected and completed this program.  For more information, application materials, locations and dates, visit www.ParkinsonsNursing.com.