Speakers
Description
Background
Home care is increasingly a setting where nurses provide complex, high-acuity care that was traditionally delivered in hospitals. Ontario’s expansion of home care is moving more complex patients into the community, making nurse confidence, competence, and clear escalation pathways critical to safe care at home. In collaboration with our integrated care programs, Spectrum Health Care developed nursing education to strengthen competence and coordinated care of complex patients in the community. Early implementation revealed gaps in nurses’ confidence managing complex conditions and uncertainty in escalation processes.
Purpose
To design and implement scalable, competency-based education, guided by the RNAO Intra-professional Collaborative Practice among Nurses (2016) guideline, to strengthen home care nurses’ capacity to deliver complex care and support clear, timely escalation of concerns.
Methods
An education strategy was created using the Knowledge-to Action framework and adult learning principles and implemented across home care nursing teams. The approach included:
1) Self-paced e-learning modules on complex conditions
2) In-person skills development
3) Clear escalation pathways and resources
Education was developed and delivered collaboratively by acute care clinical partners and Spectrum Nurse Educators, with roughly 68[VV1.1] nurses participating.
Outcomes
Early results show increased nurse confidence in managing complex patients and improved understanding of escalation pathways. Staff report greater readiness to identify and respond to clinical concerns and improved communication between care teams. Formal evaluation is underway.
Lessons Learned & Implications for Practice
Early, consistent collaboration with hospital partners is essential to prepare community teams, and co-development of education, resources, and escalation pathways, helps support safe patient care. Building nursing competence for complex care at home supports acute care capacity, eases hospital congestion, and enables safe, high-quality care in the community.
What RNAO BPG or tool/toolkit is your abstract related to?
Intra-professional Collaborative Practice among Nurses (2016).
Author(s) Credentials and Title
Dina Vaidyaraj, RN, BScN, MN, Professional Practice & BPSO Lead
Isobel Garry, RN, Clinical Nurse Educator
Marla Wolfe, Learning Specialist
Ruth Duah, RN, MN, Director, Integrated Care Program
| Organization Name | Spectrum Health Care |
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