September 15, 2016
Better equipping our nurses for aged care
Researchers at the University of Wollongong (UOW) are calling on Registered Nurses to help them assess the competencies of nurses in the aged care system.
The project, titled Developing Gerontological Nursing Competencies: A Delphi study, is a collaboration between UOW and five industry partners who provide community and residential care services to older people.
Participation in the study is voluntary and requires completion of a short survey.
Associate Professor Victoria Traynor, from UOW’s School of Nursing, said the research study aims to provide a much needed framework for registered nurses working with older people and their families.
“To date, the available nursing competencies for the aged care sector were developed in North America where the model of healthcare and nursing is very different to Australia,” Associate Professor Traynor said.
“As the ageing population continues to grow we need to find better ways to provide effective services to this consumer group and their families.”
Researchers will develop a freely available online resource which the aged care industry and individual registered nurses can use to develop aged care services, gerontological education programmes and nursing career pathways in community and residential care services for older people and their families.
The study aims to provide a structure for aged care organisations to adopt a whole-of-organisation strategic approach to planning services and in-house professional education programmes to ensure the needs of its service users are met. The online resource will also allow registered nurses to plan professional development activities and create a career pathway for aged care work.
“This kind of information is vital for those who are involved in the aged care sector,” Associate Professor Traynor said.
Researchers are inviting Registered Nurses to complete an online survey.
Participation is entirely voluntary and those choosing to be part of the study can withdraw at any time. All details about participants will be anonymous and confidential.
Access the survey here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GNC_UOW