| Learning Objective #1: Describe the roles and functions of nurses involved in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to develop, implement, and evaluate a clinical pathway for day patients in a Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Program | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe a multidisciplinary team’s approach to scholarly inquiry and its application to practice in order to develop, implement, and evaluate a clinical pathway for day patients in a Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Program |
Nurses have contributed significantly to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a clinical pathway in a Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Program. Specifically, nurses have assumed the roles of project co-ordinator, overall program resource contact, liaison to in-patient units, and liaison to the community and acute care facilites.
The project’s success hinges on these nurses partnering with an interdisciplinary health care team. To this end, a Steering Committee has been formed, whereby members represent a multitude of health care professions, such as, nursing, therapy (speech, physical, occupational), social work, medicine, and psychology. This Steering Committee is examining the utility of a clinical pathway to improve the quality and efficiency of care and reduce variation in service delivery in the Day-Patient Program. Historically, such tools have been used in acute care facilities.
To date, chart and workload reviews have been done to determine current practices. A literature review and contact with agencies using this tool have occurred to establish best practices. The literature review purports that the success of clinical pathways is dependent on an interdisciplinary collaborative approach. It also supports the notion that this practice tool is based on scholarly inquiry.
Brainstorming sessions, which included participants from diverse health care professions, to develop a clinical pathway and staff feedback form have occurred. Piloting the pathway and obtaining staff, family, and community expert feedback will commence in early 2003. This presentation will highlight how nurses have taken the lead in collaborating with diverse health care disciplines to determine if clinical pathways will help us provide innovative, leading-edge family-centred care.
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