Learning Objective #1: gain an understanding of how a tri-professional network for knowledge translation and dissemination program for the care of older adults is being fostered in Canada.

Learning Objective #2: learn about the objectives of Canada's National Initiative for Care of the Elderly.

---

The National Initiative for Care of the Elderly is a Canadian government funded project promoting knowledge translation, collaboration, and knowledge mobilization on issues affecting the health of older adults in Canada. This network has brought together the three most relevant profession groups who provide social, psychological and physical care to older persons in Canada. Gerontological nurses, geriatric physicians, and gerontological social workers have joined in a national partnership with their community counterparts who currently provide the educational component of practice for these programs. The overarching goal is the dissemination of research and best practices for the care of older adults. Specifically, NICE shares research about evidence-based practice within an interdisciplinary team context across the university – community continuum. Through the NICE network, researchers and practitioners from each of the three professions are identifying and sharing information about evidence-based practice and current promising/best-practices for the development of interdisciplinary educational and training initiatives. In addition, to address the training shortage and the lack of geriatric content in the three professional programs, the network is working to identify and incorporate essential aging and interdisciplinary content into undergraduate, graduate and professionals’ staff development curricula. Staff education through professional development initiatives in teaching agencies used by the three professions is permitting the transfer of network knowledge to practitioners in the field, to help improve the standard of care and to help re-direct mainstream professionals’ attention to the importance of geriatric care. These new education initiatives emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to the care of the elderly. The focus of this presentation is on the collaborative nature of this Network, with an emphasis upon the role and responsibilities of the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association (CGNA) and its members. CGNA is a special interest group of the Canadian Nurses Association.