Drexel University Online to Launch Certificates in Pediatric Rehabilitation and Integrated Nursing Care of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) July 29, 2013 -- Drexel University Online, a premier provider of Internet-based higher education, and the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) are pleased to announce the creation of two new programs, the Certificate in Advanced Practice in Pediatric Rehabilitation and the post-bachelor’s Certificate in Integrated Nursing Care of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
“Our new certificates in Pediatric Rehabilitation and Integrated Care of Autism Spectrum Disorders, developed by international experts in these fields, are a direct response to the pressing healthcare needs of children and families dealing with complex, ongoing problems,” said Dr. Gloria Donnelly, RN, FAAN and dean of Drexel University’s CNHP.
The online Advanced Practice in Pediatric Rehabilitation Certificate provides physical and occupational therapists with advanced specialization in multiple facets of pediatric rehabilitation, including early intervention, school-based practice and other pediatric services in a professional learning community.
“Students in the Advanced Practice in Pediatric Rehabilitation Certificate program will enhance their comprehension of family and client-centered practice in diverse pediatric rehabilitation settings,” said Dr. Deborah Rose, PT, DPT, PCS and professor in the CNHP Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Rose is a pediatric clinical specialist who will be teaching in the Advanced Practice in Pediatric Rehabilitation Certificate program. Employed as a physical therapist in Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools, she provides support services to children, families and educational teams. She is also involved in the American Physical Therapy Association Section on Pediatrics as a chair of the School Special Interest Group on Neuromuscular Disorders Task Force and currently serves as president of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association’s Pediatric Special Interest Group. In 2008, Rose was the recipient of the Evelyn B. Noyovitz Award for her commitment to pediatric practice through academic excellence and clinical performance.
The online Integrated Nursing Care of Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate prepares nurses to understand and deliver lifelong care to individuals with ASD and their families. Courses in the program will instruct students on how to provide more responsive, cooperative and professional service to this unique population. The program also helps students to develop a practice philosophy and long term professional agenda in ASD care to include practice, education and research.
“Students will develop and pursue a highly innovative role in an area of practice in which the value of nursing care has not been fully developed,” said Dr. Ellen Giarelli, RN, CRNP and associate professor in the Doctoral Nursing Program at CNHP. "The program is an exemplar of post-baccalaureate education and will help graduates reshape how lifetime care is provided to people with ASD."
Leading the Integrated Nursing Care of Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate program, Giarelli has more than 15 years of experience as a principal investigator (PI) conducting research with patients, family members and healthcare providers, including multiple intervention studies. From 2006 to 2010, Giarelli was PI of the Pennsylvania Autism and Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program. For the past decade, she has studied the healthcare needs and medical, psychological and social problems of people with genetic disorders diagnosed in childhood that require life-long enhanced surveillance and self-management.
Both online certificate programs are available starting this fall and are taught by internationally-recognized, on-campus faculty from Drexel’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. For more information on these programs or to enroll, please visit http://www.drexel.com.
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About Drexel University Online:
Drexel University Online, a subsidiary of Philadelphia-based Drexel University, specializes in innovative, Internet-based education programs for working professionals, organizations, and corporations in the United States and abroad. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best Online Graduate Programs” in the fields of Business Administration, Engineering, Nursing, and Library Science, Drexel’s online programs are among the elite in the nation. Drexel University has been an innovator in the e-Learning industry, offering degrees online since 1996, and enjoys regional accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges & Secondary Schools. For more information on Drexel University Online, please visit http://www.drexel.com.
About Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions:
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions enrolls approximately 4,500 students annually. The College includes 15 programs, 175 full-time faculty and affiliations with some of the finest health care institutions in the U.S. The College’s programs are designed to build knowledge, improve practice and culturally competent care, foster professional integrity, and ultimately improve the health outcomes of patients, families, and communities across the continuum of care. For more information on Drexel University or other programs in Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, visit http://www.drexel.edu/cnhp.
Contact: Sabrina Ram, public relations manager, Drexel University Online - (215) 895-0511; sr62(at)drexel(dot)edu
Sabrina Ram, Drexel University Online, http://www.drexel.com, 215-895-0511, [email protected]
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