Methodist Hospital’s Jordyn Stangl named Geriatric Resource Nurse of the Year by NICHE program

Jordyn Stangl, BSN, RN, GERO-BC, CDP, was recently honored as the Geriatric Resource Nurse of the Year by the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) program.

Stangl, a geriatric resource nurse (GRN) on the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit at Methodist Hospital, was one of nine nominees for the recognition, which is part of NICHE’s annual Trailblazer Awards.

The awards committee wrote to Stangl: “This honor recognizes your outstanding commitment to advancing geriatric nursing excellence and your exemplary contributions to improving care for older adults. Your dedication, leadership and innovation have set the standard within the profession and have made a significant impact on your colleagues and the patients you serve.”

Stangl has worked on the ACE Unit since 2017, first as a bedside nurse, and then as a GRN – a specially trained nurse who serves as a clinical expert and mentor in geriatric care, improving outcomes for older adult patients and supporting peers in evidence-based practices.

“It’s rewarding to have the hard work and commitment of the GRN role be recognized at a national level,” Stangl said. “I’ve always felt a connection with older adults and enjoy being surrounded by nurses who are passionate and caring.”

The committee cited a lengthy list of achievements in honoring Stangl. Among them:

• Involvement in the Methodist NICHE Council, Unit-Based Council and hospital-wide committees
• Leading 4Ms interdisciplinary rounds, which focus on a progressive framework of What Matters to the patient as well as their Medication, Mentation and Mobility
• Advancing her geriatric nursing expertise through American Nurses Credentialing Center GERO-BC certification, the certified dementia practitioner (CDP) credential and completion of the AgeWISE specialty nurse residency
• Teaching others, including through her mobility and fall prevention presentation at the 2024 NICHE + Nebraska Methodist Hospital Regional Geriatric Nursing Conference, and her Methodist Health System Research Day presentation on music therapy’s impact on nurses
• Helping to implement and lead innovative initiatives, including:
  • An escape room that challenges nurses to recognize delirium, prevent it and effectively care for patients experiencing the condition
  • “Walking bingo,” which has doubled patients’ walking distance on days it’s played
  • The Purple Leaf Program, in which a sign is placed outside a patient’s room to help staff recognize that the patient may need additional interventions to support their cognitive function and prevent functional decline

 “Serving this population is an honor,” Stangl said. “What I'm most proud of is that our team is always looking for ways to make the hospital experience better for older adults. We know that a hospitalization can have a significant impact on an older person's independence, and we want to do everything we can to help them return to their previous level of function.”