Foreword
Mary Chiarella
Modelling of Care Project, School of Nursing, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW
Vicki Parker
CNC Research and Practice Development, GNS CPOD, Hunter New England Area Health Service; School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Newcastle; School of Health, University of New England, Armidale NSW
Karen Patterson
Modelling of Care Reference Group, South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service, Nursing and Midwifery Directorate, Sydney NSW
PP: 131 - 132
Article Text
This edition of Contemporary Nurse 'Advances in Contemporary Modeling of Clinical Nursing Care' is remarkable for a number of reasons, each of which we want to discuss briefly in this editorial. Firstly, the collection of work presented in this edition comes about as a result of a state-wide project to collect and analyse local nurse-initiated work that had been undertaken to improve patient care and/or nursing working conditions. The purpose of the project was not to impose innovation or change upon the nursing workforce of New South Wales (NSW), but rather to uncover the work that was already occurring. Most of these projects began their lives with no funding or assistance of any form and without any prompting from hospital management. They were initiated by clinical nurses in a desire to improve patient care or the working patterns and lives of the staff involved in patient care.
Secondly, the collection of work that was uncovered was collated into two reports that were presented to the (then) Health Ministers for NSW[1][2]. The aim of these reports was twofold: firstly to hold up a mirror to government to demonstrate to them the extraordinary work their nurses were already carrying out independent of any top-down edicts; and secondly, to share this wonderful work with nursing peers and colleagues across NSW. On the launch of the first report in February 2006 the then Minister for Health, Mr John Hatzistergos, announced a scholarship fund of innovation seeding grants for nurses to assist them with their work and made the comment 'What we see in this report is the result of 20 years of university education for nurses'. Recognition such as this is critical for nurses, especially when our rightful place is the tertiary sector continues to be questioned and at times undermined[3]. In 2008 the Modelling of Care reference group was formed with representation from Area Health Services and universities across the State. This group worked together to devise ways to ensure sustainability of the work that had begun with the Models of Care project. The idea for this special edition of Contemporary Nurse came from that group.
Thirdly, this work promoted a number of synergies between different nursing groups. Academics joined with clinicians to apply for scholarships and particularly to refine and develop many of the projects presented in this edition. Nurses from widely diverse parts of the state got in touch with each other to share knowledge and experience, to swop questionnaires and audit tools and just to compare notes about what worked and what didn't. This was by no means the first time that such synergies had occurred - indeed, many of the innovations happened because of just such liaisons - but it was probably the first time a concerted effort had been made to publicise the value of such synergies and to make the opportunity for such synergies available through a central repository.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, this work came together because of the vision and commitment of the two Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers at the time of the project - Adjunct Professor Kathy Baker AM and Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms. They provided the funding and infrastructure to undertake the statewide roadshows where the projects were collected and presented, to develop the website where the information was stored and shared and to provide the (ongoing) innovation scholarships. It was their decision to make known the extent of the extraordinary work that nurses were already undertaking, to collect it, to publicise it and to make recommendations to government to support it. The more formalised and centralised programs such as the Nursing Unit Managers program and the Essentials of Care program that are now up and running have their genesis in these early local initiatives and have since received significant funding from government and also significant commendations in state-wide reviews of nursing services[4]. Part of the journal's Advances in Contemporary Nursing sub-series, 'Advances in Contemporary Modeling of Clinical Nursing Care' has been released separately with ISBN 978-1-921348-18-1 to enhance its separate uptake as a course reader and addition to library reserves. We commend this work to you and are proud to be associated with it.
[1] Chiarella M and Lau C (2006) First report on the models of care project. NSW Health: Sydney http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/moc.html
[2] Chiarella M and Lau C (2007) Second report on the models of care project. NSW Health: Sydney http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/moc.html
[3] Trounson A (2008) TAFE nursing degrees spark protest http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/tafe-nursingdegrees-spark-protest/story-e6frgcjx-1111117402604
[4] Garling P (2009) Final Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/Special_Projects/ll_splprojects.nsf/pages/acsi_finalreport
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