Spinal cord injury nurses in action: partners in practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Care Models
• Healthcare Management
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation

Background:

• Changes in staff numbers and skill mix on a spinal cord injury unit necessitated new care delivery strategies.
• Existing care models required adaptation to meet evolving patient and staff needs.
• The need for patient-focused, team-oriented care delivery was identified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the creation and implementation of the Partners in Practice (PIP) care delivery model on an SCI unit.
• To adapt Manthey's PIP model to the specific context of SCI care.
• To enhance care efficiency, effectiveness, continuity, staff accountability, and resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• Adapted Manthey's (1980) Partners in Practice model.
• Utilized Lewin's (Scott, 1994) change theory for implementation.
• Focused on a patient-centered, team-oriented approach within an SCI unit.

Main Results:

• Successfully implemented the adapted Partners in Practice model.
• Established a culture of partnership among healthcare staff.
• Facilitated team-oriented care delivery for spinal cord injury patients.

Conclusions:

• The adapted Partners in Practice model is effective for SCI units facing staffing changes.
• Implementation using change theory facilitated cultural shifts towards partnership.
• The model supports efficient, effective, and continuous patient care in SCI rehabilitation.