Growth day 1 Flashcards
Institutional Sector:
Includes hospitals, long-term care (LTC) facilities, psychiatric facilities, and rehabilitation centers.
Inpatient care: Patients stay for diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation.
Outpatient care: Patients visit for services but don’t stay overnight.
Provides acute care, specialized treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care for various health conditions.
You said:
Hospitals
Acute care: Short-term treatment for immediate health problems (typically days to weeks).
Hospital services: Emergency care, diagnostics, inpatient care, surgery, intensive care, outpatient care, and rehabilitation.
Declining hospital beds: Hospital beds and admissions have decreased in Canada since the 1990s, reflecting a global trend.
Hospital types: Community hospitals, specialized hospitals (e.g., cancer or children’s hospitals), and academic institutions.
Public vs. Private: Public hospitals are government-funded, while private hospitals are owned by organizations or corporations.
Nurse roles: Nurses apply critical thinking, clinical judgment, and evidence-informed practice, and coordinate care across teams. They also play a key role in discharge planning, patient education, and continuity of care.
Long-Term Care Facilities (LTC):
Provide 24-hour care for individuals with chronic or debilitating illnesses or disabilities.
Services include nursing, rehabilitation, dietary, recreational, and social services.
Most residents are frail older adults, though some may be younger adults with chronic conditions.
The goal is to maintain residents’ highest level of function in a homelike environment.
There are about 2,076 LTC homes in Canada, housing around 5% of the older population.
Private, not-for-profit, and public facilities exist, with funding primarily from public sources.
LTC is not fully covered under the Canada Health Act, but many provinces provide some coverage.
Nurses play key roles in care planning, chronic illness management, rehabilitation, and patient education.
Psychiatric Facilities
Provide inpatient and outpatient services for mental health care, located in hospitals, clinics, or mental health centers.
Mental health is considered underfunded, with 1.6 million Canadians reporting unmet needs (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2018).
Nurses collaborate with doctors, psychologists, social workers, and therapists to plan care and help patients transition back to the community.
At discharge, patients are typically referred for follow-up care with community agencies.
Nurses in psychiatric settings excel in communication, case management, and patient safety.
Rehabilitation Centres:
Residential institutions focused on therapy and restorative training to help patients regain function and independence.
Programs often help patients and their families adjust after impairments like stroke, spinal cord injuries, or substance abuse.
Substance rehabilitation centres support recovery from alcohol and drug dependence.
Nurses work closely with physical/occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers to address challenges related to mobility, safety, and stress.
Community Sector
Focus on primary and secondary care, aiming to be accessible in patients’ daily environments (work, home, school).
Emphasize empowerment and community development to reduce health service inequities by identifying and removing barriers.
Community health nurses play a key role in outreach programs, helping patients who may not seek traditional care.
Nurses support the health of individuals, families, and communities in settings like public health units, schools, and family practices.
public health
Focuses on promoting health and preventing disease at the population level, not just individuals.
Involves activities like screening, assessment, policy development, and monitoring to create health-promoting conditions.
Addresses global issues such as pandemics, climate change, and planetary health.
Public health nurses work with various healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, therapists, dietitians) to deliver services such as well-baby clinics, school health programs, and disease prevention initiatives (e.g., tobacco reduction, STI surveillance).
Physicians’ Offices:
Most Canadian physicians work as private contractors within the publicly funded healthcare system, on a fee-for-service basis.
Focus on diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, with less emphasis on health promotion.
Nurses assist by recording assessments, preparing patients, conducting exams, documenting histories, providing health education, and recommending therapies.
RNs in primary care teams support assessment, screening, lifestyle education, and chronic disease management to improve health outcomes.
NPs (Nurse Practitioners) work in various settings, offering wellness care, screening, diagnostic tests, and medication prescriptions.
Community Health Centres (CHCs) & Clinics:
CHCs provide comprehensive services to designated geographic areas or at-risk populations, offering primary health, social services, rehabilitation, and non-institutional care.
They are the first point of contact for integrated, patient-centred services.
Nurses and NPs (Nurse Practitioners) are key in managing CHCs, focusing on preventive care and health empowerment rather than just curative treatment.
NPs work in collaborative teams, offering supportive and preventive services to help patients take more responsibility for their health.
Assisted Living:
Community-based residential facilities offering support services to adults, promoting independence and dignity.
Services include meal preparation, personal hygiene, mobility assistance, and socialization.
Staffed by both professional and nonprofessional personnel, providing 24/7 support to help residents live as independently as possible.
Home Care:
Community-based health services provided in patients’ homes, residential settings, hospitals, or clinics (e.g., postoperative recovery, end-of-life care).
Uninsured extended health service, but provinces/territories fund key services like nursing care, assessment, and case management.
Services include nursing care, physiotherapy, social work, speech therapy, and support services (e.g., personal care, home management).
Private home care services range from basic assistance to complex nursing care.
Nurses in home care manage complex cases and provide care that delays institutionalization, helping patients stay functional and independent.
Considered a cost-effective alternative to acute care, particularly for services like wound care.
Adult Day Support Programs (ADSPs):
Alternative to hospitalization, often associated with hospitals or LTC facilities, or operating independently.
Provide continuous care for patients with conditions like dementia or those needing physical rehabilitation.
Enable caregivers to participate in care while maintaining work and personal commitments.
Nurses provide continuity of care, administer treatments, encourage medication adherence, connect patients with community resources, and offer counseling services.
