essential topics and skills in the training of community...

FONG YOKE HIONG

Assistant Director Nursing

PAY JIN YU

Advance Practice Nurse

Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing.

Tsao Foundation

Essential topics and skills in the

training of Community

Gerontological Nurses:

A Singapore Perspective

© Tsao Foundation, 2013. No unauthorised reproduction.

BACKGROUND

• Community gerontological nurses faces different

challenges from an hospital setting.

• Certificate in Community Gerontological

Nursing Course (CGNC):

• started in Aug 2012

• equip nurses with the essential nursing skills and knowledge to care for community-based older adults.


COMPETENCIES NEEDED

COMMUNITY GERONTOLOGICAL

NURSE

• Conduct comprehensive nursing needs assessment of the

older adults

• Apply critical thinking to needs assessment and care

planning

• Formulate workable nursing care plans with the elders

Implement the medical care plans under the direction of a

physician.

• Execute formulated care plans either independently or in a

coordinated effort with other professional and informal care

providers in the community


COMPETENCIES NEEDED COMMUNITY

GERONTOLOGICAL NURSE

• Assess, educate, and supervise family and other semi-

skilled caregivers in nursing care for older adults.

• Provide person centred care giver support through

knowledge and skills transfer in care of the elders.

• Apply medical, nursing and social knowledge and skills to

manage common acute and chronic medical and complex

situation with the intertwining social and functional needs

affecting the older adults.


COMPETENCIES NEEDED COMMUNITY

GERONTOLOGICAL NURSE

• Able to be the first line of triage and be able to decipher

and appropriately refer to the physician in charge in a

timely manner as appropriate.

• Promote quality of life of community dwelling frail elders,

even at terminal state

• Advocate on behalf of the elders for their needs to be met.


BACKGROUND (CONT.)

CGNC content: • Overview of health situation in Singpaore

• Social assessment

• Case management

• Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

• Geriatric syndromes

• Primary healthcare

• Rehabilitation

• Home Health care

• Palliative care


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Identification of Community Gerontological Nurses’ learning needs to prepare them in caring for the community dwelling older adults


METHODOLOGY

• Descriptive study

• Data captured between Aug 2012 to Feb 2014

• Sample size: 35 students


METHODOLOGY – CHARACTERISTIC OF THE STUDENTS

Age

3

9

15

5

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69

No

. of

stu

de

nts



Race

Chinese 63%

Fillipino 11%

Myanmar 6%

Indian 14%

Malay 6%



Highest academic qualifications

3

15

12

5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Advanced/specialist

dip

Bachelor innursing

Certificatein nsg/others

Diploma innursing

No

. of

stu

de

nts



Years of nursing experience

3

8

13

8

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

< 5 5-10 11-20 21-30 31-40

Ave: 17 years Min: 3 years

Max: 40 years

No

. of

stu

de

nts



Healthcare settings


METHODOLOGY (CONT.)

• Data collected:

• Early and upon course completion: Students to list 3 most essential topics/ skills which they identify which have better equipped them


FINDINGS

Topics & skills No. of

students

Topics

Comprehensive geriatric assessment

12

Holistic care plan 18

Palliative care 12

Advocacy 6

Skills

Physical examination 6

Nursing assessment 14

Documentation/ oral presentation

10

What are consider important by the

students …


FINDINGS: PERSONAL

REFLECTION

Begin with a good comprehensive assessment

(Start well)

Palliative care ( Ends well)

Advocate


FINDINGS :

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

• Students’ growth in learning

• Increase awareness of the need for good nursing assessment

• Appreciation on complexity of geriatric care

• Holistic perspective

• Importance of good reporting and documentation


IMPLICATIONS

• Increase nursing standards about CGNs

• More focus/ incorporate topics on comprehensive geriatric assessment, formulating care plan & palliative care

• Essential skills on communication with older adult and family,

• Assessment skills

• Professional reporting skills –concise and precise manner

• Documentation – notes.


CONCLUSION

Small sample size

Tsao foundation community gerontological nursing

course focuses on these essential skills and

knowledge required as it is developed by

practitioner for practitioner in the field.

More research on these areas of identifying gaps in

nursing training

Raise the recognition and image of the home health

care nurse.

essential topics and skills in the training of community...

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