begun a group teaching session to prepare pa-tients prior to their surgery and help facilitatetheir transition from hospital to home. Each groupteaching session includes nursing, physiotherapy,and occupational therapy and includes five to se-ven patients and their families. The focus groupsetting allows for sharing of information betweenhealth care professionals, patients, and theirfamilies.

This presentation will share our experience withthe development of a TSA teaching program includ-ing patient information booklet and strategies tofacilitate interprofessional group teaching. We willalso present preliminary evaluation of our program– pre- and post-implementation of the interprofes-sional teaching.References supplied by presenter.

doi:10.1016/j.joon.2009.02.048

A provincial integrated model to improve carefor patients following hip fracture: Helpingpatients to return home (Concurrent)Janet Legge McMullan

Bone and Joint Health Network, SunnybrookHealth Sciences Centre and Holland Orthopaedicand Arthritic Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

A hip fracture is a significant threat to people’sindependence and ability to live in the community.This is especially so for older persons with frailtiesand cognitive impairment, who as our populationcontinues to age will require a range of servicesthat are based on best practice and responsive totheir care needs. Until recently, hip fracture ser-vices have been fragmented and limited, varyingconsiderably across hospitals, and not always fo-cused on optimizing patient outcomes. Patients en-dured long waits for surgery, lengthy stays in acutecare and had limited access to rehabilitation. Manypatients were streamed to long term care despitetheir previous success in living in the community.Recent advances through an integrated hip frac-ture model of care are now reducing surgery waittimes, and offering new and earlier access to inpa-tient rehabilitation for all patients coming fromthe community regardless of cognitive issues.Building on the successes from the pilot, a provin-cial initiative has been launched to developconsensus and share learning using knowledgetranslation approaches. As the integrated modelis implemented across the province, nurses arebeing asked to be leaders in implementing bestpractice to improve hip fracture care and systemflow. The provincial hip fracture model is improv-

ing care for patients through using best practicesto ensure they receive the right care in the rightplace at the right time, and offering new opportu-nities to return home.

doi:10.1016/j.joon.2009.02.049

Communication gap on shared informationbetween hospital and community nursesregarding patients with vascular access devices(Concurrent)Olga Muir, Nancy Arbuah, Remedios Pomantoc

University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario,Canada

Purpose: To improve communication across thecontinuum of care for patients being admitted inhospital or discharged into the community withvascular access devices (VAD).

Background: In today’s society and especiallythe healthcare system, Patient Safety has becomekey in the delivery of care. What is also fundamen-tal in this delivery of care is the effectiveness ofcommunication between health care providers.

Method: Using a qualitative approach, a pilotstudy was done to seek information on the effec-tiveness of a communication tool (VAD) and if it im-proves the communication between acute care andcommunity nurses.

A sample consisting of 20 communication toolswere completed by acute care nurses and sharedwith community care nurses. The VAD tool accom-panied patients upon discharge. The communitycare nurses then used this shared information forthe continuity of care.

Result: Questionnaires were given to communitynurses that evaluated the effectiveness of the com-munication tool. Feedback from the questionnairedemonstrated that the more information sharedbetween nurses regarding patients with vascularaccess devices, improved the continuity of careonce patients are discharged from the hospital.

Conclusion: Shared information between hospi-tal and community nurses improves the overall carefor patients.

doi:10.1016/j.joon.2009.02.050

Forging new territory: The struggles of intro-ducing new nursing roles in orthopaedic surgery(Concurrent)Shayne King, Karen Ng

Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario,Canada

36 Judy McAulay