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Nursing Standards > Learning Centre > Teleconferences

Long-term Care Teleconference Summary


In 2005, the College of Nurses of Ontario initiated a teleconference series to better understand the experiences of nurse leaders and administrators in the long-term care sector. The series had three specific objectives:

  1. to exchange information with nurses/administrators in long-term care;
  2. to respond to their questions and concerns regarding regulatory issues and resources; and
  3. to establish a forum for dialogue and learning with colleagues in the sector.

These objectives are directly linked to the College’s broad strategic objective of better understanding the practice realities that nurses encounter in providing client care.

Eight teleconferences were held over a two-year period. Here are the teleconference topics and dates.

The teleconferences facilitated dialogue among nurses across the province and yielded rich information on nursing practice environments. The College conducted a qualitative analysis of the teleconference transcripts to identify underlying themes. The following table describes some of the themes validated by a number of participants.


Themes Identified in the College’s Long-Term Care Teleconference Series


Theme Description

Isolated Sector
There is a sense of isolation in the long-term care sector, both in terms of the attention that health system policy-makers give it, and that nurses feel they are working in isolation from their peers.
Lack of Resources
The sense of isolation is compounded by a funding model that does not support an adequate number of nurses or appropriate staff mix. The demands of the workplace contrast with the limited availability of resources to support quality care.

Accountability

Workplace demands have created pressures on individual accountability. Medication administration and the management of support staff are two areas in which nurses expressed concern about their role and accountability. Nurses are also concerned about the role and accountability of unregulated staff.
Collaboration

Amid the challenges facing the sector, there is a desire to collaborate and develop strategies to provide quality care.

Next steps


The College will continue to monitor issues within the long-term care sector and respond to its regulatory mandate to protect the public interest. In addition to consulting with nurses and nurse employers through teleconferences, direct consultations and the website, the College has begun to use its new Outreach Program. The Outreach Program’s Long-Term Care Advisory Group includes nurses from all long-term care roles and categories across the province. This group shares information on trends and issues, and allows the College to integrate this knowledge into ongoing resource development.

In addition, the College has initiated discussions with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s compliance and inspection division to identify areas of common interest between the Ministry’s compliance standards and the College’s practice standards.

The College acknowledges and thanks all contributors and participants in the long-term care teleconference series. Themes emerging from the sessions formed the basis of a submission to be made to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The College will submit the paper Supporting Quality Nursing Care in the Long-Term Care Sector to the Ministry in spring 2007. The document provides evidence from the long-term care practice sector that there is a need for greater attention to the resources and workplace factors that influence quality of care.

 

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