Monica Coles completes CIRCAA Training Program

Monica Coles DNP, RN-BC, ACNS-BC, CDP, Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, has completed CIRCAA, a comprehensive interprofessional training program designed to improve knowledge, skills, and practice in the care of older adults. Her participation and professional perspective were valuable additions to another successful program year.

CIRCAA (Creating Interprofessional Readiness for Complex and Aging Adults) is a September through June program of curriculum content and objective competencies for VCU's Virginia Center on Aging CIRCAA Scholars to achieve. The program begins with the patient-centered 4M’s foundation (what Matters Most, Mobility, Mentation, and Medication) for age-friendly care in September, recognizing that the older adult is not only a patient but also a partner in geriatric care and well-being.

Over the course of the year, CIRCAA addresses vitally important issues such as geriatric syndrome, falls prevention, medication management, lifelong disabilities, aging-related public policy, dementia, habilitation therapy, team-based learning, and more; these are reinforced with associated clinical cases, screening tools, and referral sources. We have built in interprofessional teamwork as the modality to ensure the most appropriate care of older adults.

This year’s truly interprofessional class of selected Scholars included a gerontologist, a doctor, an RN, a physician assistant, two nurse practitioners, two social workers, two occupational therapists and a physical therapy assistant. Similarly diverse, the faculty leading the program represented the disciplines of medicine, nursing, social work, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, gerontology, dentistry and pharmacy.

Completing CIRCAA is testament of commitment to the highest standards of age-friendly, person-centered, interprofessional geriatrics care.