Skip to Content

Geriatric and Extended Care Nurse Practitioner Residency (GEC-NPR) Program

Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System is one of the eight pilot sites for the Geriatric and Extended Care Nurse Practitioner Residency (GEC-NPR) Program by the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA). The GEC-NPR program at the DVAHCS is affiliated with the Duke University School of Nursing.

The GEC-NPR program will enhance the novice nurse practitioners' knowledge and skills acquired during their nursing practice and graduate-level academic education and prepare them to be proficient in the care of aging Veterans with multimorbidity and frailty.

The primary goal of the GEC- NP Residency Program is to:

Enhance geriatric workforce by producing nurse practitioners proficient in the following:

  1.  Comprehensive geriatric evaluation
  2.  Assessment, diagnostic testing, treatment, and planning of care for aging Veterans with complex medical and psychosocial needs.
  3.  Management of polypharmacy, including consideration of risks and benefits of medications in the older Veteran
  4.  Palliative care, end-of-life care, and advanced care planning
  5.  Transitions of care 
  6.  System-based approach to anticipate and deploy resources to optimize outcomes
  7.  Leadership of interprofessional teams in providing high quality care and designing quality improvement initiatives

 The trainees will spend 40 hours in clinical and didactic learning activities weekly to become proficient in 24 competencies specified in GEC-NPR curriculum.

  • Residency curriculum includes: 80% experiential and 20% didactic learning.
    • GEC NP Residency clinical sites include various clinical areas of the Durham VA Medical Center, community-based programs, and home-based programs of the Durham VA Health Care System. 
    • Clinical rotation sites include: Community Living Center, Geri-PACT, Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH), Home Based Primary care (Durham, Raleigh, Clayton and other areas), Hospice and Palliative Care, Caring for Older Adults and Caregivers at Home (COACH), & other geriatric models of care (80%)
    • Clinical and didactic activities are planned as face-to-face activities.
    • Integrated and parallel clinical didactic sessions (20%)
    • Quality-improvement project
  • Didactic sessions frequently occur in conjunction with other DVAHCS-Duke University training programs including the Geriatric Medicine fellowship, VA Quality Scholars Program, Geriatric Scholar program and the Primary Care and Mental Health NP residencies to promote interprofessional learning.
  • Faculty mentors and supervising clinicians will facilitate the novice NP’s journey to a proficient advanced practice provider with expertise in geriatrics.
  • Upon successful completion of the residency, the trainees will be given the opportunity to apply for available vacancies within the VA Health Care System across the country.

Eligibility

To be eligible, candidates must:

  •  Be a U.S. born or naturalized citizen.
  •  Be a graduate of an accredited nurse practitioner program within the past 12 months. Candidates graduating in May of the application year also can apply.
  •  Hold national certification as a FNP or AGNP by start of program in September 2024.
  •  Be a novice Nurse Practitioner.
  •  Licensure:
    •  Current and unrestricted registration as an RN and NP in the state of North Carolina. (NC is a Compact Nursing State)
  •  Proficient in written and spoken English.
  •  Pass a background/security investigation.
  •  Pass pre-employment physical examination.

Residency Stipend and Benefits

  • Stipend is paid by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA).
  • Government health care medical plan.
  • Paid federal holidays.
  • PTO & sick leave accrued per pay period.
  • No call or weekend shifts required.
  • 100% protected learning time.

Application Process

The application process opens annually from November through January.   To be considered, you will need to submit the following documents:

Email the following documents to VHADURnurserecruiterteam@va.gov

Last date to receive completed application is January 31st, 2024.

  • Curriculum vitae- Include details of academic preparation, professional experience, professional activities, scholarly activities, leadership involvement, awards, and volunteering.
  • Personal Statement - Address these prompts in your personal statement.
    • Why do you want to pursue the Geriatric and Extended Care NP Residency? 
    • What makes you a good candidate for this program?
    • Word limit for the personal statement is 500 words.
  • Reference- Provide name, email address, and telephone contact information of THREE individuals who can serve as your reference. Reference must include the following categories.
    • One faculty member from your graduate/NP program
    • One preceptor for your clinical rotation as a nurse practitioner student
    • One coworker/manager/supervisor from your RN practice
  • Federal Form:  Application for Health Professions Trainees (HPT’s) VA Form 10-2850D 
Application for Health Professions Trainee (PDF)

Contact information

Letha Joseph, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, FFNMRCSI, FAANP
Geriatric and Extended Care Nurse Practitioner Residency (GEC-NPR)
Program Director
Durham VA Health Care System
letha.joseph@va.gov

Eleanor S. (Ellie) McConnell, PhD, RN
GEC- NPR Program Academic Partner
Associate Professor, Duke University School of Nursing
Core Investigator, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)
Durham VA Health Care System
eleanor.mcconnell@va.gov

Claudette Forrest RN
Nurse Recruiter
Durham VA Health Care System
Phone: 919-286-6858
Claudette.Forrest@va.gov

Last updated: