
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is one of only two hospitals in Bergen County to achieve designation for geriatric nursing specialty.
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is certified as a Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) facility. New Bridge is one of only two NICHE designated hospitals in Bergen County and one of 29 hospitals in New Jersey. The new NICHE certification continues New Bridge’s dedication to providing geriatric specialty services throughout its facility, not just within its long term care division, which is the largest licensed nursing home in New Jersey and one of only 6% accredited by the Joint Commission. As part of a full-service, accredited hospital, the LTC program is able to provide its residents with access to on-site nurses and other medical professionals day and night. The NICHE specialization better prepares nurses in the Acute Division to work with the geriatric population they frequently encounter. NICHE, a program of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University College of Nursing, supports hospitals with implementing best practices in the treatment and care of older patients by preparing staff nurses to identify and develop creative solutions for the special needs and issues of the geriatric population. Several New Bridge nurses have completed the NICHE Leadership Training Program and will spearhead initiatives to train staff nurses in recognizing and treating the special concerns of older patients. They will also continue to design new and innovative programs to provide a socially and physically inviting environment for patients and long term care residents.