Toronto's
North York General Hospital (NYGH) has launched a new fellowship program to train advanced nurse specialists in palliative care delivery.
Advanced nurse specialists, so-called because they hold a master's degree in nursing, have long played an integral leadership role in North York General's palliative care unit--the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care. Soon after it was established in 1999, the Freeman Centre brought-in a clinical nurse specialist--a type of advanced nurse specialist--to help guide the program and provide expert care to patients.
Palliative care, as defined by the
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association , refers to care "aimed at relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for persons who are living with, or dying from, advanced illness or are bereaved." In Canada the terms 'palliative care' and 'hospice care' are generally used interchangeably.
"The physicians, as our medical director puts it, anchor the program," explains Virginia Clark-Weir, a clinical nurse specialist at the Freeman Centre. "Whereas the clinical nurse specialist occupies the role of consultant, teacher, mentor, and provider of expert care based on evidence and research."
But while clinical nurses specialists are integral to providing palliative care, there is a shortage of advanced practice nurses trained in the specialty.
"Palliative care is becoming more and more visible and is gaining a place as a specialty within the health care system," says Clark-Weir. "There is recognition of what this role can contribute, but not much in the way of training people for the role. So this program is really responding to a need to prepare advanced practice nurses in this specialty."
The Freeman Center will begin hosting its first fellow in July of this year (the hospital will only be taking on one fellow at a time). The nursing fellow will participate in a paid six-month training program that will combine mentorship and hands-on training.
The fellowship, the first of its kind in Ontario, is being funded by the NYGH foundation in partnership with donors Zoltan and Yetta Freeman who contributed $1 million to the project.
North York General's palliative care program provides patients with both hospital and in-home care.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Virginia Clark-Weir, clinical nurse specialist, North York General