Impacts of a Palliative Approach for Nursing (IPAN)

This practice-relevant nursing health services research initiative will address the questions:

1. How and in which contexts can a palliative approach better meet the needs of patients with a life-limiting illness and their family members?
2. How can a palliative approach guide the development of innovations in health care delivery systems to better support nursing practice and the health system in British Columbia?

This practice-relevant nursing health services research initiative will address the questions:

1. How and in which contexts can a palliative approach better meet the needs of patients with a life-limiting illness and their family members?
2. How can a palliative approach guide the development of innovations in health care delivery systems to better support nursing practice and the health system in British Columbia?

The questions will be pursued through a provincial survey of nurses and three substantive research strands that are guided by the following questions:

1. What health system and public policy innovations are needed to support nurses to enactive a palliative approach in the context of the BC Health care environment?  What is the impact on staffing and skill mix in integrating a palliative approach?
2. How do we best prepare nurses, taking into account context and skill mix, to integrate a palliative approach?
3. Given a palliative approach, what are the patient-centered and system opportunities nurses can build upon to guide and support patients and families throughout their illness?