HHC Healthy Aging nurse receives gerontological certification

NEWINGTON - A transitional care nurse with Hartford HealthCare at Home in conjunction with Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging received the gerontological nursing certification (RN-BC) in February 2019.

Kaitlin Cuas, MSN, RN-BC, CDP, of Newington, was awarded the special credential after successfully passing the competency-based examination that assesses clinical knowledge and skills of registered nurses in the gerontology field. The American Nurses Credentialing Center certification is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification.

The primary role of the Transitional Care Nurse (TCN) is to conduct one-time nonbillable comprehensive visits in the client’s home to provide holistic assessment of the client, their environment and family dynamics. A care plan is generated in collaboration with the client and/or family to establish additional services and personalized goals to help them meet their needs. The TCN is also active in health promotion events in the community such as providing education and health screenings to the public.

“Geriatric nurses connect them to services when they are struggling and may be at one of their weakness point in life. I think about my own parents and grandparents and try to be the advocate that I would want for my family,” Cuas said.

An employee of Hartford HealthCare since 2006, Cuas holds clinical experience in the pulmonary-medical floor/step-down and cardiac critical care at Hartford Hospital. Cuas has been published and has presented in numerous healthcare settings. She is active in reviewing and sharing input on proposed health bills that impact the health of the public in the Government Relations Committee for the Connecticut Nurses Association. She is also a member of the American Nurses Association.

“The geriatric population is very vulnerable and sometimes even voiceless. They may have challenges with keeping up with the fast pace of healthcare and technology as well as navigating through the complicated healthcare infrastructure. As a registered nurse, it is extremely gratifying to use my skillset to work with this geriatric population and promote positive outcomes,” Cuas said.

Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, a not for profit member of Hartford HealthCare Senior Services, is a resource and assessment center designed to enhance access to services and information related to attaining optimal quality of life for seniors and their caregivers. For more information about Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, visit http://hhccenterforhealthyaging.org or call 877.4AGING1/ 877.424.4641.

Hartford HealthCare at Home, a community-based home health care agency covering more than 100 Connecticut towns, enables individuals to achieve maximum independence, to participate in their own plan of care, and to live with dignity while receiving quality care in their own homes. For more information, visit hartfordhealthcareathome.org or call 1.800.HomeCare/ 1.800.466.3227.