Quality work/learning environments

New Charting Nursing's Future brief focuses on implementing the IOM Future of Nursing report's recommendations on interprofessional collaboration.

The Change Foundation joined forces with the Health Strategy Innovation Cell in this project, "Using Online Patient Dialogue to Drive Healthcare Improvement". The project developed and tested emerging best practice guidelines for healthcare organizations on the use of open-access profiles and public pages on Social Media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs to improve patient care, enhance quality improvement (QI) and patient-centred care. We produced this e-toolkit to share lessons learned about the potential and limitations of social media to improve healthcare quality.

In 2005, RNAO, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, launched a four year research project aimed at evaluating the implementation and uptake of its six foundational Healthy Work Environments Best Practice Guidelines (HWE BPG) in nine healthcare settings in Ontario. This report is the summary of findings stemming from that pilot evaluation. The six foundational HWE BPG implemented were: Collaborative Practice Among Nursing Teams; Developing and Sustaining Effective Staffing and Workload Practices; Professionalism in Nursing; Developing and Sustaining Nursing Leadership; Embracing Cultural Diversity in Health Care: Developing Cultural Competence; Professionalism in Nursing; and Workplace Health, Safety and Well-being of the Nurse.

Author(s): Graham Lowe
Published By: Qmentum Quarterly (Accreditation Canada)

This article outlines how health care employers can be leaders in creating healthy, humanly sustainable organizations. Doing so will benefit patients, employees and physicians, and society.