Université de Montréal Doctoral Student earns Global Nursing Innovation Award

LAVAL, QC, May 12, 2017 /CNW/ - The Connecting Nurses Patient Centricity program is proud to announce that Guillaume Fontaine, a Montreal-based graduate student and registered nurse, will be a recipient of the 2017 Global Nursing Innovation Award.

Mr. Fontaine was chosen for his research at the Montreal Heart Institute, affiliated with the Université de Montréal, where he is pursuing a doctorate in Nursing Science. The award recognizes his Masters-level project, entitled "The e-learning method in motivational interviewing for cardiovascular nurses," in which he looked to identify more effective ways to integrate motivational interviewing into routine training for cardiovascular nurses.

Motivational interviewing (MI) has been shown to better encourage lifestyle changes in coronary patients that in turn reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Mr. Fontaine's project investigated how information technology, and specifically online learning tools, can break down cost and accessibility barriers to ensure that more nurses can be trained in the discipline. This included evaluating the feasibility of MOTIV@Coeur, an e-learning portal he developed to teach MI to nurses in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at the Montreal Heart Institute, and determining the potential long-term effectiveness of such a platform on patient outcomes. The project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Quebec Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie and the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation.

"Motivational interviewing enhances engagement and adherence in medical settings, resulting in positive outcomes for patients. We support this innovative work, which is focused on different methods for patient empowerment to facilitate self-management and improve outcomes of people living with cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Anne C. Beal, MD, MPH, Chief Patient Officer, Sanofi.

"The research being done by Guillaume Fontaine, which will ultimately help nurses better empower patients to lead healthier lives, is truly inspirational," said Niven Al-Khoury, President of Sanofi Canada. "With approximately 2.4 million Canadians living with heart disease, cardiovascular health is an important priority for both Sanofi and the broader healthcare system. We will follow the progress of Guillaume's work, as we value this innovative solution that advances care for patients."

The Global Nursing Innovation Award is part of an ongoing effort by Connecting Nurses to recognize the crucial role that over 20 million nurses around the world play in healthcare. Highly trained in their field, nurses have a significant impact on a patient's life through both direct care and by supporting other healthcare professionals. Nurses also contribute to research and to the development of care, and remain at the forefront of advances in public health. This is the fifth consecutive year that the Award has been granted, and many winning projects from previous years have achieved global importance and peer recognition. More information on previous winners can be found online at www.care-challenge.com.

About Connecting Nurses Patient Centricity – www.connecting-nurses.com

Connecting Nurses Patient Centricity is an international patient-centered program, supported by Sanofi, which was created for the nursing community to provide professional resources for members around the world. Collaborating partners include the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF), the Secrétariat International des Infirmières de l'Espace Francophone (SIDIIEF) and the Association française pour le développement de l'éducation thérapeutique (AFDET).

Through this program, Sanofi invites nurses from around the world to share projects that improve patient/nurse communication and lead to patient empowerment in self-management of chronic disease, with a particular focus on:

  • Peer-to peer-support;
  • Caregiver/family involvement in patient education;
  • Improved patient wellbeing/outcomes education; and
  • Vaccinations, etc.

About Sanofi – www.sanofi.ca

Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi entities in Canada include the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Care Business Unit, the General Medicines and Established Products Business Unit, Sanofi Pasteur (vaccines), Sanofi Genzyme (specialty care) and Sanofi Consumer Health. Together they employ close to 1,900 people. In 2016 Sanofi companies invested $130 million in R&D in Canada, creating jobs, business and opportunity throughout the country.

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SOURCE Sanofi Canada

For further information: Kirstin Gable, NATIONAL Public Relations, 514-843-2378, KGable@national.ca