Better Practice in Aged Care Workforce Modelling: Workplace Practice Frameworks and Models of Care

Abstract

Contemporary health care systems are facing a number of challenges, including changing client profiles, health sector reforms, and scarce financial and human resources. This has motivated service providers, policy makers and researchers to explore and reconsider the organisation of nursing practice and staffing as a key factor in the delivery of high quality yet cost effective care. This presentation details a program of research into the organisation and delivery of nursing staffing and practice within aged care in Australia. This research program is developed around a Workplace Practice Framework that identifies the component parts of complex health care service systems and their relationship to service outcomes. Such a framework supports health service organisations to conceptualise and organise their systems, particularly their workforce, practice, education and research, in a comprehensive and systematic manner and accommodate geographical and service diversity. This presentation will highlight on-going research within this program, particularly in the areas of models of care, staffing mix and roles, and professional practice models. Discussions will centre on three research projects within this program - Clinical Leadership; alternative Models of Care; and the evaluation of a non traditional model of care for use in long-term care facilities. The relationship of each of these projects to the broader framework will be explored and a brief overview of the research and scholarship associated with each project will be provided. Future research directions will also be discussed.