Paper
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
This presentation is part of :
PostersRedefining the Health Care Team Member Post SARS
Marilyn Hollick, RN, BScN, Emergency Department, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington, Ontario, Canada and Susan Burlock, RN, BA, Maternal & Child Services, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
The SARS outbreak in hospitals represented a crisis of extraordinary proportion that affected the care and support many patients received through mandated restrictive visitor guidelines. The Emergency Department and Maternal Child Program have been selected to represent both an illness and wellness model on which to redefine the Health Care Team, which will now include a support person as a valued team member. Understanding hospitalization from a family systems perspective poses a challenge for the Health Care Team working in the “new norm”. In order to honour and respect the uniqueness of each individual and to understand that a supportive person provides for safety and emotional needs of a loved one, a paradigm shift of what has been defined as the Health Care Team is required. A support person’s unrestricted presence at the bedside is central to a Health Care Team partnership and will serve to enhance the opportunity for the patient to achieve optimal health. The literature confirms the value of a family member’s presence and participation in care. This philosophical change initiative is based on the patient’s choice to include a support person on their Health Care Team. Redefinition of the Health Care Team will ensure that a support person, rather than being viewed as a visitor that is “in the way” may now be viewed as vital in noticing subtle changes in the patient. This paradigm shift may also serve to enhance discharge planning and post hospital care, and to increase patient and nurse satisfaction. The process will include stakeholders input and support, focus groups, and on going education. Existing tools will be used to evaluate the outcome indicators.
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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 21, 2004