Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Many Canadian hospitals have developed in-patient units modeled after the "Acute Care for Elders" (ACE) approach in an effort to best meet the needs of older patients. Research has shown that ACE units improve the physical well being of older patients while decreasing costs to the health care system. However, there is limited research exploring how nursing care on these units influences other aspects of patients' experience, including the extent to which they receive person-centred care, being treated as individuals worthy of respect. This research will examine the culture of nursing practice on ACE Units and explore how the ethical and moral practice of nursing influences the experience of personhood for older adults - that is the experience of being recognized and treated as a person by others. Research will be conducted on two ACE units observing nursing practice and interactions with older adults as well as interviews with nurses, patients and administrators. Policy and structural factors within the hospital and health care system will be analyzed to explore their influence on the relationship between nursing practice and personhood. These data will be analysed using qualitative techniques to provide a description of what the experience of personhood is for older adults and to develop themes that illustrate the nature of the relationship between nursing and personhood on ACE units in the context of the health care environment. This study is essential because it will result in a better understanding of the ethical care of older adults on ACE units, highlighting where strengths in practice exist as well as any areas where practice needs to be changed. This knowledge can be used to advance health care of older adults in specialized as well as non-specialized areas so that optimum health outcomes are achieved.