Strengthening International Research in Long-Term Care: Recommended Common Data Elements to Support Clinical Staff Training

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop candidate common data element (CDE) items related to clinical staff training in long-term care (LTC) homes that can be used to enable international comparative research. This paper is part of the WE-THRIVE ( Worldwide Elements to Harmonize Research in Long-Term Care Li ving Environments) group’s initiative which aims to improve international academic collaboration. We followed best practices to develop CDEs by conducting a literature review of clinical staff (i.e., Regulated Nurses, Health Care Aides) training measures, and convening a subgroup of WE-THRIVE experts to review the literature review results to develop suitable CDEs. The international expert panel discussed and critically reflected on the current knowledge gaps from the literature review results. The panel proposed three candidate CDEs which focused on the presence of and the measurement of training. These three proposed CDEs seek to facilitate international research as well as assist in policy and decision-making regarding LTC homes worldwide. This study is a critical first step to develop candidate CDE items to measure staff training internationally. Further work is required to get feedback from other researchers about the proposed CDEs, and assess the feasibility of these CDEs in high and low resourced settings.

Nursing, frailty, functional decline and models of care in relation to older people receiving long-term care: a scoping review protocol

“… 18 22 23 However, it has been documented that long-term care services experience limitations related to the following: time with patients, number of healthcare staff with adequate competence, collaboration with other professions, guidelines and protocols for care, high rates of sick leave, part-time workers and nurse retention. 23–25 This might increase the risk of nursing staff (eg, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants/aides) 26 —hereafter referred to as nurses—being forced to ration care. 27 This may result in patient monitoring being less prioritised and a further rationing of care that might lead to the signs and symptoms related to frailty and/or functional decline going unobserved.…”

“…As previously stated, nurses will be defined as nursing staff (eg, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants/aides). 26 Because there exists no consensus definition of frailty or functional decline, we will use the definitions presented in the introduction of this protocol as the inclusion criteria. The context will be defined as long-term care contexts, for example, home healthcare, sheltered housing and nursing homes.…”

“…Significant others are tentatively defined as individuals with a close relationship to the older person, not defined by kinship or by being an unpaid carer. As previously stated, nurses will be defined as nursing staff (eg, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants/aides) 26. Because there exists no consensus definition of frailty or functional decline, we will use the definitions presented in the introduction of this protocol as the inclusion criteria.…”

Nursing care and models of care in relation to older people in long-term care contexts: a scoping review protocol

“…Nurses will be operationalised as: registered nurses, registered practical nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides, according to Chu et a. 1 …”

“…Registered and non-registered nurses1 make up the main section of the healthcare profession and, therefore, are a crucial part of all healthcare organisations 2. Nowadays, one important care context is long-term care3 (box 1), in which the providers of direct basic care to older people mainly consist of non-registered nurses 4.…”