��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate nursing student submission one of the top 10 finalists for the Hunter Prize

caroline.zentner — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 15:54:28 +0000

With an eye to helping solve the crisis in health care, Angie Grewal, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge fourth-year master of nursing student, believes that expanding the role of nurse practitioners could help address the shortage of physicians in Alberta and lead to more accessible and cost-effective care.

She, along with Kate Bykowski, a nurse practitioner and PhD student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, put their ideas onto paper and submitted them to the Hunter Prize for Public Policy. The two teamed up at the suggestion of Dr. Carmel Montgomery, an associate professor at the U of A. The prize is designed to rally fresh ideas, energy and voice to tackle a so-called wicked problem, in this case, health-care wait times, to improve the economic and social well-being of Canadians. They recently learned their submission made the top 10 finalists.

“I was very honoured and excited,” says Grewal. “The master’s program at ULethbridge empowered me and provided me with tools to transform the frustrations I feel about the health-care system. I think this is why I am so excited to be a finalist, not for the prize but because maybe someone will listen. Working in ICU since 2009, I have seen what inadequate access to primary care can lead to, and conversely, how complex patients are upon discharge. We need more clinics, and NPs have a lot to offer, and can fill that gap in the community setting.”

“In my experiences of Angie, she consistently demonstrates nuanced insights with applying ethical frameworks and principles of equity to meeting population health needs in a publicly funded health system,” says Dr. Lisa Howard, a ULethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences professor. “The Hunter Prize submission is a stellar reflection of the aforementioned and another thoughtful product of Angie’s scholarly skills and practice insights.”

“It was clear to me when I taught Angie in the MN program that she was an outstanding student possessing excellent critical thinking skills and an ability to synthesize complex concepts,” says Dr. Peter Kellett, ULethbridge assistant professor. “I have little doubt that being shortlisted for the Hunter Prize will be one of the first of many accomplishments she will achieve as an emerging nursing leader and scholar.”

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are health-care professionals who are trained to provide primary and specialty care to patients. They are licensed to diagnose and treat various illnesses and injuries, prescribe medication and provide preventive health services. As such, they are an integral part of the health-care system.

In their submission, Grewal and Bykowski also point out that NPs have a lower salary than physicians, which leads to cost savings in the health system. Through government-funded nurse practitioner-led clinics (NPLCs), patients get improved access to care in a timely and efficient manner. These clinics are important resources for post-operative patients, as they provide close monitoring and follow-up care. This has the potential to lead to shorter hospital stays, thus freeing up acute-care beds.

“NPs provide care that is more patient-centred and tailored to the needs of individual patients,” says Grewal. “Cardiac patients are complex and evidence indicates that NPs spent more time with their patients, allowing for holistic assessments, development of a therapeutic relationship and comprehensive care that takes patients’ physical, emotional and social needs into account.”

NPLCs, by providing timely and appropriate care, education and support in outpatient settings, lead to improved patient satisfaction. Providing care in the community or through telehealth technologies improves access for patients who live in rural and remote areas.

“Health care is a fundamental human right,” says Grewal. “By establishing government-funded NP-led clinics for primary care, we can ensure that health care is available to everyone who requires it. This leads to better health care and, in turn, contributes to a healthier population.”

As one of the top 10 finalists, Grewal and Bykowski receive $2,500. The Hunter Prize winner receives $25,000 to translate their idea into public policy, while the runner-up receives $5,000.

Vascular Risk Assessment Program benefits study, good for faculty and staff

trevor.kenney — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 21:54:59 +0000

A wellness initiative designed to improve the heart health of faculty and staff at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is also contributing to an important study that promises to embolden nursing students with health coaching techniques they will eventually take into clinical settings.

The U of L’s Vascular Risk Assessment Program (part of Health Check for U), a wellness initiative that partners with the campus health centre, begins its fall session Oct. 2 and runs through Nov. 27, 2014.

Lisa Howard, a registered nurse and PhD candidate at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta who also teaches nursing theory and clinical courses in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences, has focused her research on health coaching as an approach to supporting clients incorporate healthy lifestyle practices. Health coaching is a way of talking with clients to help them make changes for their overall health.

“It’s a very different approach to what is being practiced today, which is typically a case where the clinician simply provides information for people to take away from a visit,” says Howard. “Health coaching is customized to what the client’s needs are.”

Howard explains that health care is focusing much more on lifestyle modification to reduce risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. To do so, nursing students need more than content knowledge for health education, rather they require the opportunity to apply behavioural counselling skills. The U of L’s Vascular Risk Assessment Program (part of Health Check for U), a wellness initiative in partnership with the campus Health Centre, provides that opportunity. Its fall session runs from Oct. 2 through Nov. 27, 2014.

“I think the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is really stepping up to the plate in terms of serving its faculty and staff,” says Howard of the free program that allows undergraduate nursing students the chance to practice in a clinical setting, all the while providing cardiovascular and other health screening indicators to clients.

“We know that health coaching appears to be a success and student feedback has been very positive,” says Howard. “But there is little evidence out there on the most effective ways to teach motivational interviewing to undergraduate nursing students and no research on how clients experienced this kind of approach from nursing students.”

Howard’s goal is to interview both clients and nursing students following their participation in the program to see what best practices can be gleaned from the experience.

“There is a real gap in understanding how people actually learn this in a clinical setting, and this will help us understand, as scholars, how we can customize the learning experience for our students so that they can in turn make it a valuable experience for clients,” says Howard.

In the end, she believes students will be better equipped to take these techniques with them into clinical settings and have greater success effecting change in their clients’ lifestyles.

“Canadians keep going back to health-care providers really hoping that we’re going to help them, and if we continue to just lecture them, that’s not helpful,” says Howard. “If we’re going to put a health-care professional in front of a patient, that time is to be really well used. Lecturing is not a good use of time, we want to be providing highly customized support based on what is important to the client.”

Those who would like to participate in the Health Check for U program or would like more information can contact wellness@uleth.ca, or register by visiting Health Check for U.

UNews - Lisa Howard

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate nursing student submission one of the top 10 finalists for the Hunter Prize

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Vascular Risk Assessment Program benefits study, good for faculty and staff

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate nursing student submission one of the top 10 finalists for the Hunter Prize