Sherry Dahlke

When Sherry Dahlke managed an acute surgical unit, she found the nurses needed to know more about how to provide the best possible care to their many elderly patients.

Older adults often have complex health issues, including multiple illnesses, chronic conditions and cognitive limitations that lead to challenging diagnoses and longer recoveries. “Nurses are pivotal in supporting older adults and improving their care,” said Dahlke.    

This inspired Dahlke to pursue Master’s and PhD degrees in the UBC School of Nursing, studying how nurses care for older adults with delirium and, more generally, how nurses practice with hospitalized older adults. Dahlke received funding from the Helen Shore Nursing Endowment and the Katherine McMillan Discretionary Fund, which enabled her to translate information sheets and consent forms into various languages for study participants. 

“Without funds for translations, it would have limited my ability to include non-English-speaking older adults and their families in my research,” she said.

In addition to helping nurses to develop their knowledge and skills, Dahlke also aims to show decision-makers in government and the health authorities the challenges faced by nurses and the implications of decisions on nurses’ practice with older patients.

“Nurses orchestrate the connections of resources in the acute context of the hospital for older patients, who are influenced by the trajectory of their illnesses and their complex backgrounds including family,” said Dahlke. “I can see simple things that if put in place will make real, positive change for hospitalized older adults.”