An increase in acute care demands due to staff shortages and fiscal constraints has resulted in nursing teams feeling progressively overwhelmed and burdened. New nursing care delivery models have been developed and implemented across Ontario to address these demands. This has included the reintroduction of the Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) role within acute care settings. There is a paucity of literature that examines role clarity from the perspective of lived experiences post integration of RPNs into acute care. The purpose of this study was to examine these experiences, as well as identify current and potential strategies to support an improved transition for RPNs to practice within acute care.
Melanie Dissanayake, BSc, MHSc, PhD (c) Research Coordinator III, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Melanie is a health systems researcher with interests in the continuum of healthcare. She is a mixed-methods researcher with expertise in qualitative, survey, evaluation, and case study research methods. She completed her Master of Health Sciences degree in community health, which focused on best practices for palliative and oncological care delivery. Currently, she is completing her PhD. at Western University, where her research focuses on the sustainability of integrated models of team-based care for chronic disease management in primary care. She continues to ground her work in integrated knowledge translation, ensuring collaboration with stakeholders and patients to better understand system use across the healthcare system.
Co-Authors
Sonya Canzian, BScN, MN, RN, Executive Vice President, Clinical Programs and Chief Nursing & Health Professions Officer, Unity Health Toronto
Natalie Weiser, BA, MA, Research Coordinator III, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Melanie Dissanayake, BSc, MHSc, PhD (c) Research Coordinator III, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Sarah Dimmock, BHSc (OT), MHSc, Senior Director, Health Disciplines Practice & Education, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Andrea Baumann, BSc, MSc, PhD, Associate Vice President, Global Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Cecilia Santiago, RN, MN, Nursing Practice Manager, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Jane Topolovec-Vranic, BSc, PhD. Director, Interprofessional Practice Based Research, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario