Posted • Last updated
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Commitment: Long-term
Connection method: Virtual
Open to Northern Region
Last updated
Volunteer Opportunity
Are you the parent or guardian of a young child (2 months to 5 years of age)? Has your child had their length, weight, and head circumference measured at a health unit (e.g., as part of an immunization appointment)? The Northern Health Population and Public Health team wishes to better understand the experiences of families receiving this service so we can optimize your experience of care.
Lead Organization/Department
Northern Health, Population and Public Health
Aim
Northern Health (NH) is creating a new guideline for childhood growth monitoring, with the goal of optimizing the quality of this service and the care experience.
Understanding what is important to parents and guardians in these visits will help nurses and other team members to create safe, respectful, and reassuring visits.
We are interested in determining this role in partnership with parents and guardians. Options for participation may include interviews, focus groups, and/or to review drafts of the practice guidelines (referred to as a clinical practice standard by NH).
Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.
Eligibility
Open to PVN patient partners and other community members across the Northern region who:
• Are the parent or guardian of one or more infants or young children (2 months to 5 years of age) who, in the last 5 years, have had their length, weight, head circumference measured at a NH health centre/unit (e.g., at an immunization appointment)
• Are comfortable sharing their experience, either in an interview, focus group, or presentation (depending on preference and level of comfort)
• Are comfortable and able to access online meetings (e.g., using MS Teams)
Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2-5
• Date and time: We would aim to meet in early-mid April to provide a background to the work, and to determine how people wish to be involved. We are interested in hearing about care experiences and would be seeking input into one or more drafts of the clinical practice standard. Meetings will be virtual and will be scheduled based on your availability. We anticipate 2-4 meetings, at one hour each
• Location: Virtual meetings via MS Teams
• Commitment: 3- 6 months
Reimbursement
No out of pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria, but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Cassy Mitchell cmitchell@bcpsqc.ca to see if support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.
Compensation for time will be provided according to the health care partners organizational policies.
Background
NH Clinical Practice Standards provide staff with guidance for appropriate and safe patient care. While childhood growth monitoring is a service that NH teams have routinely offered for many years, there is a need for a clinical practice standard to support and optimize practice, particularly for primary care/public health nurses and others who are new to this area of care.
A development team has been pulled together, with representation from NH staff in a variety of communities in Northern BC. As members on this team, your input and perspectives will be a valued contribution to help ensure that growth monitoring services are provided in a safe, respectful, and reassuring way for families.
Depending on your family’s experiences with childhood growth monitoring, there is a risk that being part of this project might bring up uncomfortable feelings about care received in the past. Know that we are a group who wants to hear your experiences, with the goal of improving the quality of this service.
