As a collaborating centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, NEBACU supports the Institute’s primary aim, which is to promote the synthesis, dissemination and uptake of evidence in aged care and to create standards in practice across the sector nationally that are built upon the best available evidence. In addition to this activity, NEBACU will also engage in complementary research that investigates how evidence can be implemented successfully in the aged care setting and identifying gaps between current practice and standards of practice.

The NEBACU Management Committee advises on NEBACU’s research and development activities, the composition and focus of the unit and issues relevant to the aged care sector. Members of the Committee are:

Education

NEBACU coordinates the Clinical Fellowship Program. The Clinical Fellowship Program aims at generating national awareness of the role of clinical leadership and at building capacity within existing workforces, with a focus on working in residential aged care. The Program commenced in 2005, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and involves a six-month fellowship, including two intensive weeks spent on site at the Joanna Briggs Institute in Adelaide. More information is available from http://www.joannabriggs.edu.au/services/clin_fellow.php

National Symposium on Evidence-based Clinical Leadership in Residential Aged Care

The second National Symposium on Evidence-based Clinical Leadership in Residential Aged Care was hosted by NEBACU and held in Adelaide in February 2007. The symposium was initiated with a view to sharing knowledge gleaned from individual participants’ experiences in the Aged Care Clinical Fellowship Program. Speakers outlined practical strategies for creating and maintaining a culture of clinical improvement in residential aged care.

Systematic Reviews