The Ministry of Health Planning through the nursing strategies initiative of the provincial nursing directorate funded workshops for nurses in the Northern and Interior Health Authorities of British Columbia on Nursing Care of the Acutely Ill Older Person in acute and sub-acute care settings. The overall goal was to enhance nursesÂ’ knowledge of this growing population and thereby improve patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.
Clinical Nurse Specialists collaborated to develop an education program, revise or develop clinical practice guidelines, and set up an acute care geriatric nurse network (ACGNN). The CNSs facilitated workshops in seven communities in the Northern and Interior Health Authorities. A total of 305 nurses participated in the workshops.
The recommendations from this project were to:
- Further develop the provincial acute care geriatric nurse network.
- Support the development of regional, local resource nurses.
- Increase access to Clinical Nurse Specialists.
- Partner formally with education programs so that the learning opportunities provided by the clinical nurse specialists can be credited towards a diploma, certificate, or degree and partner with industry colleagues for co-sponsorship of ongoing nursing education programs.
For a complete copy of the report, please contact Marcia Carr (used to be P. Hunt).