Session 3(c): Strengthening Rural and Northern Healthcare

PRESENTATIONS:

Title: Clinical Nurse Specialists as Catalysts for Quality Improvement in Northern Health
Speaker: Kerry Croy, Silvana Todorovska, Elaine Veldman
Description: This session highlights how Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) drive quality improvement and patient safety in Northern Health through advanced clinical expertise, leadership, and collaboration. By standardizing care, supporting accreditation readiness, and bridging point-of-care practice with system-level decision-making, CNSs are helping to reduce variation, respond rapidly to emerging risks, and embed sustainable, evidence-informed change in resource-limited rural settings.

Title: Determining Counselling Self-Efficacy of Rural Mental Health Clinicians
Speaker: Benita Le Morvan
Description: This presentation shares findings from a study examining the confidence of rural Mental Health and Substance Use clinicians in their counselling skills. Results show generally strong self-efficacy, with variability in areas such as role-playing, providing homework, and managing complex scenarios. The study points to opportunities for targeted training, supervision, and mentorship to strengthen clinician resilience, reduce burnout, and improve patient outcomes in rural settings.

Title: Impact of a Moral Empowerment-Based Educational Intervention on Moral Distress, Ethical Reasoning, and Team Dynamics
Speaker: Esther Alonso-Prieto
Description: This study evaluated the pilot of an educational intervention within the Moral Empowerment System for Healthcare (MESH) framework. Findings showed significant gains in ethical reasoning confidence and reported reductions in moral distress, alongside qualitative evidence of increased moral clarity and empowerment. The results suggest that structured ethics education can strengthen decision-making and support healthcare teams facing ethically challenging situations.