Deborah Conley
April 2024
Deborah
Conley
,
MSN, APRN-CNS, GCNS-BC, FNGNA, CDP
Patient Care Division
Nebraska Methodist Hospital and Women's Hospital
Omaha
,
NE
United States
Her lifetime commitment to gerontological nursing and caring for older adults has been relentless. She was certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a gerontological nurse in 1978, and in 1994 became the first certified gerontological clinical nurse specialist in Nebraska.
Deborah Marks Conley, MSN, APRN-CNS, GCNS-BC, FNGNA, CDP has had an impressive 48-year career impacting nursing practice as a clinician, educator, researcher, and nurse executive. Her lifetime commitment to gerontological nursing and caring for older adults has been relentless. She was certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a gerontological nurse in 1978, and in 1994 became the first certified gerontological clinical nurse specialist in Nebraska.
Her primary areas of practice have been in outpatient comprehensive geriatric assessment and acute care. Under her leadership, she co-developed the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology outpatient Geriatric Assessment Clinic, as well as the Omaha VA Medical Center. Working primary with patients with dementia, she co-founded the Alzheimer’s Association Lincoln and Omaha Chapters. As a nursing faculty member, Deborah developed gerontological nursing curriculum at Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been widely known for the Conley Gerontological Nurse Certification Exam preparation course over the past 25 years.
Under her leadership at Methodist Hospital, six major geriatrics models of care in the interdisciplinary practice environment have been implemented. These include NICHE-Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, the Hospital Elder Life Program, and the Acute Care for Elders Unit. In 2015, the Emergency Department implemented the Geriatric Resource Nurse model, and in 2020, Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital Emergency Department were recognized as Accredited Geriatric Emergency Departments. In 2019, Methodist Hospital became the first John A. Hartford Foundation Age-Friendly hospital, and in 2023, all four Methodist Health System hospitals are Age-Friendly.
Deborah collaborated with Nebraska Methodist College to develop an AgeWISE geropalliative care specialty nurse residency program which has graduated over 325 registered nurses in the past 13 years. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of nurses. She serves as the Associate Editor of geriatricpain.org at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and has authored numerous publications and book chapters. As a nurse leader, she has participated in five successful American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designations at Methodist Hospital.
Additionally, in recognition of her outstanding service on behalf of gerontological nursing, Deborah has received numerous awards, including the ANCC Certified Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year; National Gerontological Nurses Association (NGNA) 25 Year Distinguished Service Award; NGNA Fellow; National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year; the March of Dimes Nebraska Distinguished Nurse of the Year; the National Gerontological Nursing Association's Judith V. Braun Research Award- Excellence in Advancing Gerontological Nursing Through Research and the Midwest Nursing Research Society Excellence in Research-Based Gerontological Nursing Practice.
Deborah is a member of the American Association of Nursing Leadership, Nebraska Organization for Nursing Leadership, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International.
Her primary areas of practice have been in outpatient comprehensive geriatric assessment and acute care. Under her leadership, she co-developed the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology outpatient Geriatric Assessment Clinic, as well as the Omaha VA Medical Center. Working primary with patients with dementia, she co-founded the Alzheimer’s Association Lincoln and Omaha Chapters. As a nursing faculty member, Deborah developed gerontological nursing curriculum at Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been widely known for the Conley Gerontological Nurse Certification Exam preparation course over the past 25 years.
Under her leadership at Methodist Hospital, six major geriatrics models of care in the interdisciplinary practice environment have been implemented. These include NICHE-Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, the Hospital Elder Life Program, and the Acute Care for Elders Unit. In 2015, the Emergency Department implemented the Geriatric Resource Nurse model, and in 2020, Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital Emergency Department were recognized as Accredited Geriatric Emergency Departments. In 2019, Methodist Hospital became the first John A. Hartford Foundation Age-Friendly hospital, and in 2023, all four Methodist Health System hospitals are Age-Friendly.
Deborah collaborated with Nebraska Methodist College to develop an AgeWISE geropalliative care specialty nurse residency program which has graduated over 325 registered nurses in the past 13 years. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of nurses. She serves as the Associate Editor of geriatricpain.org at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and has authored numerous publications and book chapters. As a nurse leader, she has participated in five successful American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designations at Methodist Hospital.
Additionally, in recognition of her outstanding service on behalf of gerontological nursing, Deborah has received numerous awards, including the ANCC Certified Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year; National Gerontological Nurses Association (NGNA) 25 Year Distinguished Service Award; NGNA Fellow; National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year; the March of Dimes Nebraska Distinguished Nurse of the Year; the National Gerontological Nursing Association's Judith V. Braun Research Award- Excellence in Advancing Gerontological Nursing Through Research and the Midwest Nursing Research Society Excellence in Research-Based Gerontological Nursing Practice.
Deborah is a member of the American Association of Nursing Leadership, Nebraska Organization for Nursing Leadership, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International.