Building Nurse Capacity – Healthy Ageing and Aged Care

Healthy North Coast recognises the extraordinary role nurses play in helping our community live and age well. With one in three North Coast residents expected to be over 65 by 2036, a skilled workforce is vital to supporting people to live and age well.

Nurses in general practice and residential aged care play a key role. From healthy ageing consultations and chronic disease support to advance care planning and palliative care, nurses are trusted by patients, free up GP time and appreciate the chance to work at the top of their scope.

This program responds to the need for practical education, shared tools and consistent approaches that help nurses build confidence and skills to offer, person-centred care for people from mid to end of life.

The program uses a mix of practical education, peer learning and quality improvement support to help nurses apply new skills in everyday care.

For residential aged care teams

Bespoke short online learning modules on topics such as recognising deterioration, telehealth, My Health Record, advance care planning, palliative care and use of the Deteriorating Resident Triage Tool have been developed for the North Coast region, by expert geriatricians. Learning is supported by train-the-trainer workshops, communities of practice and practical resources for busy aged care teams.

For primary care teams

The program helps general practices to embed nurse-led healthy ageing care into routine appointments. Tools and resources include HealthPathways, and quality improvement tools for early intervention, chronic disease care, health coaching and palliative care.

Across both streams, the program also uses webinars, podcasts, newsletters, case studies and other communications to share learning across the region. The program is being evaluated to understand what works well and how it can be sustained.

• A learning framework for primary care and residential aged care nurses.

• Short online learning modules and ongoing education resources.

• Support for residential aged care nurses through education on resident deterioration, My Health Record, telehealth, advance care planning, palliative care and anticipatory care.

• Resources, tools and HealthPathways for practice nurses to deliver nurse-led early intervention, healthy ageing appointments, health coaching, chronic disease management and palliative care support.

• Communities of practice for residential aged care nurses and primary care nurses.

• Coaching circles, train-the-trainer resources, case studies and quality improvement tools.

• Sharing learnings and practical examples to support wider uptake across the region.

• A formal independent evaluation of the outcomes of the program with recommendations for ongoing nurse develoment

The program aims to increase nurses’ skills, confidence and capability to work at the top of their scope, improve workforce experience and job satisfaction and build capacity in the workforce.

Through this program, people from mid life will be better able to live and age well, reduce their risk of chronic disease and be cared for appropriately at home, rather than hospital whenever appropriate.