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If all groups involved in aged care - providers, health professionals, unions and consumers - joined into one alliance, quality care could be achieved and strengthened.
As the November 2013 issue of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand showed, there are many exciting and important initiatives going on in the residential aged-care sector and community settings. These initiatives include nurse practitioners working in residential aged-care facilities, the introduction and national roll-out of a standardised comprehensive geriatric assessment (interRAI LTC), and innovations such as families participating in care through "family care plans" and progress notes.
More examples of such wonderful expressions of quality care for older people would be welcome. Wouldn't it be wonderful if these scenarios were the norm, but sadly they are not. Pockets of excellence may grow if open-minded and creative (and well-funded!) providers support them. Some do, but often the initiatives are coming from dedicated and caring gerontology nurses themselves.
How do gerontology nurses working in hospitals, aged care or the community develop best practice initiatives? The day-to-day work of nurses in aged care, in particular, is mostly about getting through a shift with medication and doctors' rounds, wound care, care plans, assessments, documentation and overall accountability and responsibility for 30 or 40 residents and several caregivers and/or enrolled nurses.
At a recent gerontology study day in Christ-church attended by 75 nurses, nurses identified "working alone" and "professional isolation" as two...