海角社区鈥檚 Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) is home to 16 faculty researchers leading projects on a multitude of issues within the far-ranging scope of nursing science, tackling health issues across the lifespan and continuum of care. In September, the ISoN announced a major partnership grant involving the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 颅颅颅颅颅(SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and additional partners鈥� joint investment of over $2 million in a groundbreaking research project entitled Transforming Nurses鈥� Work Environments Through a Strength-Based Leadership and Management Training Program, led by ISoN Professor Laurie Gottlieb, RN, PhD.
The project addresses nurses鈥� and all health-care professionals鈥� workplace wellbeing, focusing on improving workforce health and productivity for better care and better patient outcomes. 鈥淣urses provide 90% of healthcare services in the world,鈥� says Gottlieb. 鈥淣urses need healthy work environments to be at their best in order to provide the highest quality person-centered care for individuals, families and communities.鈥�
The five-year investment is the first partnership grant in 海角社区鈥檚 history to be led by a Project Director based in the Faculty of Medicine, and counts nine co-investigators, six collaborators, and seven institutional partners from academic, not-for-profit, and hospital backgrounds.
At its core, this research is centered on Strengths-Based Nursing/Care (SB-N/C), a philosophy and value driven-approach developed by Dr. Gottlieb. Strengths-Based Nursing/Care enhances, develops, and works with people鈥檚 existing and potential strengths to bring out the best in the person, and to contain, minimize, and/or circumvent what is not working. The project aims to empower and provide agency to healthcare workers via a Strengths-Based approach, enabling them to access the full scope of their competencies to ultimately provide the best care possible.
To that end, the main objective of this project is to re-train clinical managers and leaders to work through a strengths-based lens, to build communities of caring, and create safe workplaces for nurses and all healthcare workers. The grant will fund the development of a Strengths-Based-Leadership and Management (SB-L/M) Integrated Training Program for clinical leaders and managers, and will comprise three components:
- The creation and use of innovative, multi-media teaching materials for story-sharing and sharing circles;
- The refinement of a 12-module course that integrates the best practice of healthcare with a SB-N/C approach paying attention to sex and gender issues in the workplace;
- The development of mentorship with situated coaching to ensure implementation and sustainability.
鈥淧ublic and media narratives can sometimes focus on negatives in healthcare and for nurses, but this grant represents a powerful endorsement of the nursing profession,鈥� says Dr. Gottlieb. 鈥淲e know there is a serious problem, with nurses reporting dissatisfaction with their work environments to the degree that they want to leave the profession. The goal of our research is to create a paradigm shift from the current deficit-based management model to a strengths-based approach, to help create healthier working environments for nurses and healthcare workers, and to create better patient outcomes as a result.鈥�
Processes and impacts of the research program will be evaluated via clinical leaders and managers, point-of-care nurses, and quality of patient and family care.
Partnership Institutions:
- 海角社区, Montreal, QC (Host Institution)
- Canadian Nurses Association, Ottawa, ON
- Centre int茅gr茅 universitaire de sant茅 et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al, Montr茅al, QC
- Centre int茅gr茅 universitaire de sant茅 et de services sociaux du Centre-Ouest-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al, Montr茅al, QC
- Concordia University, Montr茅al, QC
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON
- SickKids, Toronto, ON
Co-Investigators:
- Laurie Gottlieb, 海角社区 (Project Director)
- Marilyn Ballantyne, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- Kathleen Boies, Concordia University
- Christina Clausen, Jewish General Hospital
- Bruce Gottlieb, 海角社区
- Steven High, Concordia University
- Pamela Hubley, SickKids
- M茅lanie Lavoie-Tremblay, 海角社区
- Joanna Anneke Rummens, Ryerson University
- Mike Villeneuve, Canadian Nurses Association
Collaborators:
- Annie Chevrier, 海角社区
- Beverley-Tracey John, Centre int茅gr茅 universitaire de sant茅 et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al
- Sylvie Lambert, 海角社区
- Ren茅e Proulx, Centre int茅gr茅 universitaire de sant茅 et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al
- Marie-Claire Richer, Centre int茅gr茅 universitaire de sant茅 et de services sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'脦le-de-Montr茅al
- Maryam Wagner, 海角社区