Optimizing Licensed Practical Nurses in Home Care: Their Role, Scope and Opportunities.

This research examined the role and scope of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in home care (HC) and case management. Case management is relatively new to LPNs in Alberta having been added to their list of competencies in 2015. The extent to which LPNs are performing functions and the circumstances or criteria that shape their reported case management functions and role are not clear. Our research questions were: a) What roles do LPNs play within HC and case management? and b) What roles could LPNs play within HC and case management given their scope of practice to achieve optimal client outcomes and system efficiencies? We used a mixed methods multiple case study design to engage LPNs in case management practice, their managers and HC leaders from rural, urban and suburban HC offices. Approaches for data collection included semi-structured interviews, participant observation, focus groups, document review and survey.

Older people and their families' perceptions about their experiences with interprofessional teams.

Aim: To examine older people and their families' perceptions about their experiences with interprofessional teams. Design: Naturalistic inquiry using qualitative descriptive methods to provide a comprehensive summary of older people and their families' experiences with interprofessional teams. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 22 people from 11 families. The families had experiences with teams in a variety of settings, such as community, residential care and hospital. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. NiVivo was used to record preliminary codes. Analysis included comparing and contrasting families' experiences. Results: Older people and their families wanted communication about what was going on, regardless of whether the news was good, bad or unknown. They also wanted care that took the concerns of the older person into consideration. Communication was a necessary ingredient to ensuring that the older person's unique concerns were known to the interprofessional team. These percepectives were discussed in the themes of communication and patient-centred care.