Nursing Strategy to Fund Workplace Projects

Nova Scotia's nurses will receive more support to enhance specialized skills, develop information resources for patients and make changes in their workplaces with $200,000 in Nursing Strategy funding.

Health Minister Angus MacIsaac is highlighting the 22 projects that will receive funding from Nova Scotia's Nursing Strategy in 2004.

"Through the Nursing Strategy, we are helping to make Nova Scotia a place where nurses want to work," said Mr. MacIsaac. "This new program responds to nurses who told us that they have ideas about how to improve nursing care at the local level. With this funding, they will put these ideas to work."

New in 2003-04, the Nursing Grants Program is designed to help nurses undertake short-term projects to enhance nursing practice and patient/client care, improve quality of work life and promote innovation and creativity. Through the program, individual nurses or groups of nurses can also work to address workplace issues involving leadership, scope of their practice, or rural and remote challenges. These have been identified as key areas of interest for the Provincial Nursing Network.

All nurses in acute care, long-term care and community care settings were eligible to apply for grants. The application deadline was in September 2003. During the fall, a committee reviewed and evaluated 130 proposals.

"This program has allowed nurses to be creative and offer ideas about how they can have a positive influence in their workplace," said Barb Oke, nursing policy advisor. "We heard loud and clear that nurses are willing to get involved, and that will benefit patients, employers, and other health-care workers."

Some of the projects to be funded include:

• Developing an education program about pain management for surgical patients (Annapolis Valley Health);
• Improving patient and nursing resources for emergency, ambulatory care and day surgery patients (Cumberland Health Authority);
• Developing a learning video and revising educational material on therapeutic interviewing skills for mental health nursing (Capital Health);
• Determining the current role(s) of family practice nurses in the province (Capital Health);
• Delivering specialized training for home support workers who assist IWK clients (IWK Health Centre;)
• Establishing methods for effective debriefing after critical incidents (South Shore Health);
• Studying the feasibility of establishing a co-operative program for BScN students (IWK Health Centre and Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority).

A fact sheet on the 22 projects is available on the Nursing Strategy website at www.gov.ns.ca/health/nursing .

Julie Sutherland is an RN in Annapolis Valley Health. She will be looking at patient experiences with post-operative pain and pain management in order to provide them better care.

"Having a better understanding of our patients' experiences with pain after surgery may help nurses address their complex needs in a more holistic way," said Ms. Sutherland. "As well, we can educate patients about their pain management options, which empowers them to play an active role in their treatment and assume responsibility for their health and well-being."

Carol Todd is a family practice nurse in the Capital Health district. She said she is excited to receive a nursing grant that will allow her to look at the role of family practice nurses across Nova Scotia.

"We will be surveying and interviewing the nurses in this field to identify issues, concerns, and challenges that are common to us all," she said. "We hope this will also provide an opportunity for networking, learning from one another, and finding ways these nurses can enhance health care in our communities."

2003-04 is year three of the Nursing Strategy. It was developed in 2001 by the Provincial Nursing Network, a group that works with the province's nursing policy advisor to set a direction for nursing recruitment and retention. Between 2001 and 2006, almost $60 million will be invested to support the strategy.