Leading in Developmental Services – CWSDS partners with RNAO

Leading in Developmental Services – CWSDS partners with RNAO to advance evidence-based practices while elevating quality of care.

We are pleased to announce that Central West Specialized Developmental Services (CWSDS)  is the first developmental services congregate care setting, nationally and internationally, to collaborate with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) to become a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO).  As a BPSO Pre-Designate, CWSDS is committed to the adoption of Best Practice Guidelines to promote evidence-based practice while enriching the professional knowledge of our nurses and other supporting professionals.

“With a shared purpose and vision, CWSDS will enable clinical excellence and enhance organizational values to cultivate a climate of learning, teamwork, collaboration, and professionalism,” said Silvie Crawford, CEO of CWSDS.

About the BPSO Program

Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) is the designation awarded by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) upon successful implementation, evaluation and knowledge translation of established nursing best practice guidelines (BPGs) and other scholarly activities. The association created its BPG program to provide nurses and health care teams with the most up-to-date, comprehensive, best evidence-based patient-care and healthy work environment recommendations. RNAO BPGs are recognized provincially, nationally and internationally. Each organization selects guidelines they feel will have the greatest impact on the health and well-being of the people they support.  Beginning in 2021, a 3-year pre-designation partnership with RNAO has been developed to support enhancing the culture of evidence-based practice at CWSDS.

“We are thrilled to have CWSDS join our more than 1,000 BPSOs at home and abroad,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun, founder and visionary of the program. “We are approaching our 20th anniversary of this program, and with committed organizations like CWSDS, evidence-based practice – and RNAO BPGs – has become a global gold standard. Kudos to CWSDS for their inspiring leadership. The biggest winners of our collective effort are the communities we serve.”

Best Practice Guidelines Identified for Implementation at CWSDS

From a biopsychosocial perspective, the CWSDS team has identified five BPGs which pertain to the needs of the people they support. The BPGs include Care Transitions, Person- and Family-Centred Care, Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls, and two BPGs related to supporting adults who require assistance with daily health routines.

“CWSDS and RNAO’s collaboration aims to advance specialized clinical services and collectively optimize health outcomes within our organization.  This allows all to be the best that they can be,” says Susan Quinn-Mullins, CWSDS Board Chair. “Our shared focus is to improve the quality of life of the people we support through a comprehensive plan of care and to promote continuity of care within and across all community sectors.”

ABOUT CWSDS

CWSDS is a recognized centre of excellence delivering an evidence-based integrated system of care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex needs. Based in the central west region of Ontario, CWSDS delivers a wide range of services to the regions of Dufferin, Halton, Peel, Waterloo and Wellington.

For more information about the RNAO BPSO program please visit http://rnao.ca/bpg/bpso.  For more information about CWSDS please visit https://cwsds.ca/cwsds-staging-ap.