Webinar Wednesday – Impact of Teleconsultation Implementation in Small Rural Long-Term Care Facilities
Webinar Wednesday – Impact of Teleconsultation Implementation in Small Rural Long-Term Care Facilities: A pilot study on Nurses’ and Nursing Assistants’ Experiences
In Quebec, the shortage of nurses during night shifts in small rural long-term care facilities (LTCFs) poses a serious risk to resident safety and care quality. This issue is exacerbated by the province’s broader nursing shortage, making it difficult to maintain adequate staffing. To address this challenge, some facilities have implemented on-call telephone services to ensure 24-hour nursing care access. In response, Quebec’s Direction nationale des soins et des services infirmiers (DNSSI) launched a teleconsultation pilot project.
This study explored the experiences of nurses and nursing assistants integrating teleconsultation in rural LTCFs with fewer than 50 residents. The six-month project was implemented in three facilities across two administrative regions between July 2022 and March 2023. A total of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants from February to July 2023.
Findings revealed that teleconsultation significantly improved clinical, administrative, and organizational practices while maintaining stability in certain workflows. It optimized processes by expanding nursing assistants’ scope of practice, ensuring safer and more efficient care. Collaboration between nurses and nursing assistants was enhanced, leading to better care coordination and communication. Leadership played a crucial role in defining professional roles and supporting the transition.
This initiative represents a major advancement in improving LTCF care in Quebec. Given its success in addressing staffing shortages and enhancing care quality, the pilot project might be expanded to additional regions to refine findings and further strengthen resident safety and care standards.
