The nurse practitioner role is strongly suited to meet the needs of children with complex developmental conditions in pediatric rehabilitation settings as they have a unique combination of clinical expertise. To meet the increasing demands in a large Canadian pediatric rehabilitation hospital, the NP role was implemented in several clinical program settings to improve access to care. This paper describes the contributions of NPs to nine specialized inpatient and outpatient programs in NP-led, collaborative NP and physician or interagency care team models of practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With current medical advancements, more adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders are transitioning from child- to adult-centred health care services. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for transitional services to help navigate this transition. Health care transitions can be further complicated by mental health challenges prevalent among individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), spina bifida (SB), and childhood onset acquired brain injury (ABI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) or acquired brain injury (ABI) are at higher risk of lowered psychosocial functioning, poor mental health outcomes and decreased opportunities for community integration (CI) as they transition to adulthood. It is imperative to understand the characteristics of those at highest risk of dysfunction so that targeted interventions can be developed to reduce the impact. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examines current patients of the Living Independently Fully Engaged [(LIFEspan) Service], a tertiary outpatient hospital-based clinic.
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