Webinar Wednesday - Impact of Teleconsultation Implementation in Small Rural Long-Term Care Facilities: A pilot study on Nurses’ and Nursing Assistants’ Experiences

When
April 09, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Zoom

Registration

Members only

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In Quebec, the shortage of nurses during night shifts in small rural long-term care facilities (LTCFs) poses a serious risk to resident safety and care quality. This issue is exacerbated by the province’s broader nursing shortage, making it difficult to maintain adequate staffing. To address this challenge, some facilities have implemented on-call telephone services to ensure 24-hour nursing care access. In response, Quebec’s Direction nationale des soins et des services infirmiers (DNSSI) launched a teleconsultation pilot project.

This study explored the experiences of nurses and nursing assistants integrating teleconsultation in rural LTCFs with fewer than 50 residents. The six-month project was implemented in three facilities across two administrative regions between July 2022 and March 2023. A total of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants from February to July 2023.

Findings revealed that teleconsultation significantly improved clinical, administrative, and organizational practices while maintaining stability in certain workflows. It optimized processes by expanding nursing assistants' scope of practice, ensuring safer and more efficient care. Collaboration between nurses and nursing assistants was enhanced, leading to better care coordination and communication. Leadership played a crucial role in defining professional roles and supporting the transition.

This initiative represents a major advancement in improving LTCF care in Quebec. Given its success in addressing staffing shortages and enhancing care quality, the pilot project might be expanded to additional regions to refine findings and further strengthen resident safety and care standards.

Presented by:

Marie Chantal Leclerc, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Marie Chantal Leclerc is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nursing Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. She teaches courses on healthcare management and quality optimization. Her research focuses on well-being-centered innovations, the contribution of information technologies to clinical processes, and the continuous implementation of best practice-based initiatives. She is also involved in academic administration to enhance program quality and improve the experience of future nurses. She is a member of the Order des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (QIIQ) and the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).

Earn One Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for attending this webinar. Content from the webinar aligns with Core Health Informatics Topics: The Canadian Healthcare System, Information Technology, Analysis and Evaluation

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