s e o r e H g n i s r Nu
o t e t u l a S A
S E S R U N S ’ A D A AN C G N I T A R B E L CE ou by: t to y Brough
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
List of Nominees
Nermin Ibrahim, Trillium Health Partners
Natalie Lauder, Markham Stouffville Hospital
Marjorie Imperial, University Health Network
Krystal Lawley, University Health Network
Michael Freeborn, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre
Ukpong James, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Nadine Lawson, University Health Network
Lisa Fronzi, Hamilton Health Sciences
Parminder Jawanda, Westpark Healthcare Centre
Carolyn Lawton, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2019 Nursing Hero Awards Bridget Akioyamen, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Joy Allanic, University Health Network Teressa Allwood, Interior Health Christine Apilado, Runnymede Healthcare Centre Katrina Arellano, University Health Network Laura Bainbridge, McMaster Children’s Hospital Jennifer Barbeau, Southlake Regional Health Centre Megan Beirnes, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Edgar Belanger, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Julie Bernier, Cornwall Community Hospital Alice Boland, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Janine Bowen, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Lindsay Bowers, Peterborough Regional Health Centre Joanne Boyce, Niagara Health System Sarah Branton, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Shelley Brock, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
Sam Bunjevic, Southlake Regional Health Centre Deborah Butt, Southlake Regional Health Centre Shay Cannon, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
Susan Davidson, The Hospital for Sick Children, St. Joseph’s Health Centre Toronto Angel Dinglasan, University Health Network Eleanor Diokno, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Cara Carney, Runnymede Healthcare Centre
Tsering Dolma, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Val Carroll, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Amelie Dupont, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Cathy Case, Niagara Health System
Janine Duquette, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre
Sonimol Chacko, Runnymede Healthcare Centre Charles Chen, University Health Network Tashi Chozom, Runnymede Healthcare Centre
Lisa Egan-Bates, Southlake Regional Health Centre Halimo Elmi, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Mackenzie Health
Elli Clarke, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Debra Everts, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Kelly-Jo Clarke, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
Darlene Fitzpatrick, Headwaters Health
Krista Cole, Hamilton Health Sciences Angie Coluccio, Trillium Health Partners Stacey Currier, Cornwall Community Hospital Euneka D’Aguiar, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
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Corrine Gable, Interior Health Bella Gago, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Cheryl Gayder-Ruzgys, Niagara Health System Patricia Gilbert, Trilium Health Partners Natasha Goldsbury, Interior Health Andres Gomez, Trillium Health Partners Rebecca Gonser, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Joan Greer, Southlake Regional Health Centre Natalie Halasa, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Emily Harrilal, University Health Network
Michelle Flegal, Hamilton Health Sciences
Lance Hermanstyne, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Jayda Fox, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Emily Horak, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Cunanan Francis, University Health Network
Hristina Hristovska, Providence Health Care Toronto
Bonnie Fraser, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Juliet Hutchinson, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sivi Joachim, Unity Health Toronto (St. Michael’s Hospital) Salome Johnson, Peterborough Regional Health Centre Kamini Kalia, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Navjot Kaur, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Kezia Kiruri, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Ann Klein, Southlake Regional Health Centre Cheryl Knott, Providence Manor, Kingston Christy Konietzny, St. Joseph’s Health Centre Toronto Morgan Krauter, Southlake Regional Health Centre Helen Kroeker, Peterborough Regional Health Centre Kim Krog, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Lucena Lacambra, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Susan Laliberte, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Joy Lee, University Health Network Cheryl Lockhart, Collingwood General & Marine Hospital Lorna Loney, University Health Network Janet Love, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Meghan McBride, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Sandra McDowell, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Karen McLean, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Peggy McLean, Trillium Health Partners Courtney Meadows, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Carla Millar, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Dallas Miller, St. Joseph’s Health Care London Erin Mitchell, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Selina Mitchell, St. Joseph’s Health Centre Toronto Khadija Mohamoud, University Health Network www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019 Audrey Montcliffe, Trillium Health Partners
Kelly Pensom, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
Christine Murphy, The Ottawa Hospital
Samten Phuntsok, West Park Healthcare Centre
Edsel Mutia, North York General Hospital Shanti Nadesamoorthy, Southlake Regional Health Centre Phuntsok Namgyal, Runnymede Healthcare Centre Jane Nash, McMaster Children’s Hospital Massey Nematollahi, William Osler Health System Clint Neubauer, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Alice Nzarora, Hamilton Health Sciences Alan O’Connor, Runnymede Healthcare Centre Nicole O’Donnell, University Health Network Siobhan O’Malley, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Eric Pallarca, University Health Network Paolo Pascual, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto Genevieve Parent, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Amita Patel, University Health Network Lucy Paul, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre www.hospitalnews.com
Woodrow Pinsent, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Melanie Punch, Interior Health Christine Rae, Markham Stouffville Hospital Irene Razon, University Health Network Miranda Retzler, Alberta Health Services Eda Reyes, University Health Network Heidi Rice-Gulseth, Interior Health Alyssa Richard, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Julia Rintoul, Hamilton Health Sciences
Joseph Schultz, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Ali-Akber Shermohammed, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Jacqueline Torrance, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
Betty Anne Whelan, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Sarah Scully, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Linda Slodan, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Lee Triplett, Westpark Healthcare Centre
Margaret White, University Health Network
Carmela Sorbara, St. Joseph’s Health Centre Toronto
Michael Uhryniuk, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Carol Williams, Southlake Regional Health Centre
Erin Stephen, University Health Network
Maria Urban, Scarborough Health Network
Kristy Stollery, Alberta Health Services
Mark Urdaneta, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Karen Sutherland, St. Joseph’s Health Care London
Analyn Villaluz, University Health Network
Dee Lu Sebastian, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Anna Seto, University Health Network Sue Seymour, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Bency Shajan, William Osler Health System Andrea Sharp, Trillium Health Partners Galyna Sharson, University Health Network Kathy Shaule, Trillium Health Partners
Jasmine Tai, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority Niall Tamayo, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Gavin Wells, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre Paul Welsby, Trillium Health Partners
Sarah Wilson, Peterborough Regional Health Centre Linda Woodhouse, Scarborough Health Network Christina Wray, St. Joseph’s Health Care London Grace Yu, Sunnybrook Veteran’s Centre Jun Zhao, University Health Network
Patricia Shaw, Trillium Health Partners
Eva Rodney, University Health Network Cindy Ruelens, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Kanika Russel, University Health Network Arvie Salonga, University Health Network Shelagh Scanga, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto Beth Schaffer, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (7) Jen Schmidt, Alberta Health Services MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 23
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S TO T H E W I N N E R S O F O U R
A Salute to
Nursing NURSING HERO Heroes 2019 AWARDS
st prize
Rebecca Gonser
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
$1500
Cash Prize
nd prize
Laura Bainbridge
McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences
$1000
Cash Prize
rd prize
Christine Murphy The Ottawa Hospital
$500
ourteen years ago when we started this contest, we received approximately 40 nominations. The feedback was extremely positive and we knew that it was something we could grow. We were determined to honor the amazing work nurses do and give people (patients/families/colleagues) an opportunity to say thank-you. Since that first year with 40 nominations, we have come a long way. This year we are thrilled to have received a record 214 nominations. Heroism is alive and well in our health system – in spite of the many challenges that have come to light over the last year. Mainstream media inundates us with stories of health system failures and yes, there is definitely room for improvement and we have a long way to go in achieving health system efficiency. It is much less often we hear of a nurse who has made a difference in the lives of many, or even one. These stories don’t grab headlines. And that is why we started this contest – to share these stories of every-day heroes who have devoted their lives to helping others. Every single nominee is a nursing hero. We have selected a few standout nominations to share throughout the following pages. No nominee is more a hero than another and selecting the finalists/winners is no easy task. This year’s winner, Rebecca Gonser works in the trauma department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She has made a huge impact on her colleagues and a patient population that can be extremely difficult to care for. Her care is consistent and compassionate. Rebecca regularly volunteers
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to care for the most difficult patients all the while inspiring and uplifting her colleagues. She received nominations from numerous colleagues, only some of which we could share here. Laura Bainbridge from McMaster Children’s Hospital has provided exceptional care to countless families facing the daunting task of caring for a sick child. When a child is ill it’s not just the young patient that a nurse cares for…there are also parents who need to be helped through the illness. Laura provided such exceptional care to this patient and her family they wanted to share it and thank her. Laura also received numerous nominations from colleagues that had a hard time putting into words just how special Laura is. Oftentimes nurses are a patient’s life-raft during the most difficult time in the patient’s life. Every nurse in these pages has gone above and beyond the call of duty. The nomination letters speak for themselves. I hope every nurse who reads them can take a minute to think of a time when they were a patient’s life-raft and remember that in spite of all the challenges and pressures in our new normal of hallway healthcare that YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I will be publishing more nominations online than we have space for in these pages, so please keep an eye out. If you are on the nominees list, we would be thrilled to share your nomination with you. Please email me at editor@hospitalnews.com As we celebrate Nursing Week across Canada, Hospital News would like to extend a huge thank-you to all H nurses. We salute you! ■
Cash Prize
Kristie Jones Editor, Hospital News 24 HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2019
www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
st Photo by: Doug Nicholson, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Rebecca Gonser
prize
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre – Trauma Unit 1ST NOMINATION Rebecca and I have worked together on C5, for the past 4 years. Initially, I met Rebecca when she was a student on C5. It did not take long for our manager and others to recognize her vigor, and she was quickly hired onto our unit and seamlessly became an active and respected member of our C5 family. If you’re reading this, you can begin to understand why in my books she is already a nursing hero, let alone a superhuman. Her achievements are most definitely applaudable, however, this is not the reason why I have nominated my colleague for this award. I am nominating her because of the type of nurse she is and what she represents, in order for others to have a role model and a clear definition of what the gold-standard of nursing care looks like. www.hospitalnews.com
I AM NOMINATING HER BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF NURSE SHE IS AND WHAT SHE REPRESENTS, IN ORDER FOR OTHERS TO HAVE A ROLE MODEL AND A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT THE GOLD-STANDARD OF NURSING CARE LOOKS LIKE. With her patients, there is no one like Rebecca. Her empathy and understanding of her patient’s and the human condition, matched with her ability to manufacture creative solutions/ interventions to improve their care, is truly remarkable. Rebecca is the type of nurse who is able to level and communicate with that closed off or “difficult” or “non-compliant” patient; appreciate their voices; recognize their needs; and proceed to
bring in her personal collection of nail polish, word searches, music, homemade gifts/ assistive devices, you name it – all in the effort of improving her (or her colleagues for that matter) patients’ experience at Sunnybrook (sorry for the world’s largest run-on sentence). On C5, we routinely work with patients with Spinal Cord Injuries. Rebecca took an early interest in bettering her knowledge and care for this
patient population (I have LOADS of stories to defend this). I will never forget Rebecca’s relationship with one patient, who was a female quadriplegic with limited family in Toronto. This patient, in particular, had little trust in Sunnybrook, partly to do with some unfortunate and unpredictable incidents, but largely to do with the nature of her helplessness in her situation. Her lack of trust in the staff, made nurses fearful and unreceptive to working with this patient, however, Rebecca took on the opposite outlook, and made “Ms. Y”, a problem and patient to be solved and aided, respectively. Communication was a huge concern for “Ms. Y” – with her tracheostomy, English as her second language, and physical limitation, communication was HARD. Continued on page 26 MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 25
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Rebecca Gonser Continued from page 25 Rebecca, quickly recognized this as a barrier for the patient, and would create communication boards, specially tailored call-bells and communication strategies to remedy this. Boredom was another factor for this patient. When Rebecca found out that her favourite artist was Adele, I’m guessing you can imagine which songs could be heard from the nursing station originating from Ms Y room, all thank to Rebecca. Adele must have been a REALLY nice change from the numbing sound of the humidified O2 blowing in Ms. Y’s ear. Ultimately, after many months of being in the ICU and on C5, it came time for rehab for this patient. Rebecca came in on her day off (uncompensated) to escort this patient of ours who had developed a certain trust and relationship with Rebecca to tour the rehab facility she was pended for. To this day, I am sure, Ms Y would never have trusted this new facility, and would never have consented to leaving Sunnybrook, with-
out the reassurance, support and care of Rebecca Gonser. Rebecca is four years younger than me, and I swear, I have learned more about life and nursing from this individual than I would ever be able to teach her. Sincerely,Emma Beairsto, RN, C5 Trauma Unit, Team Leader
2ND NOMINATION Rebecca Gonser is the kind of nurse you would want to have if you ever needed to be in hospital. She starts her shift with a smile and she gets to know each of her patients for the person they are, not their diagnosis and treatment. She brings an energy to the unit that is unmatched by any other staff member. You can see from her interactions with every person on the unit, she loves what she does. She is a leader amongst our nurses, despite only working for four years. She mentors young nurses, tirelessly promotes quality improvement initiatives
SHE MENTORS YOUNG NURSES, TIRELESSLY PROMOTES QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES AND TAKES SPECIAL INTEREST IN TRAUMA PATIENTS AND THEIR CARE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE SUSTAINED A SPINAL CORD INJURY. and takes special interest in trauma patients and their care, especially those who have sustained a spinal cord injury. Rebecca is a remarkable nurse, blending her nursing knowledge and expertise with her knowledge of people, and what will make a difference in their day. For example, she was caring for a man who sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in quadriplegia. Rebecca began her day as she always does, ensuring her patients’ needs were met, and that she was caring for them according to best practice. She began this gentleman’s morning care and then as she was getting to know him, she asked what type of music he likes listening to. He said he likes country music and she responded, “well you have found the right girl”. She turned on her phone and played one of her favourite
country music playlists while she got him ready for the day, something that had never been done for him before. This small act made such a difference for that man that day – she gave him the power to control something in his environment which is challenging in a hospital setting. She continued his care and noted that he was starting to develop a pressure injury. It was in the early stages, but this could be detrimental to his recovery. Rebecca made it her mission to ensure this was cared for properly and did not progress any further. She applied a dressing, made signs to place in his room for proper positioning, she searched for extra pillows (which are always impossible to find!) and she added important information to the nursing handover sheet for the next nurses caring for him. Continued on page 30
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Photo by: Doug Nicholson, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Laura Bainbridge McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences
was emotionally broken the first time I met Laura. My daughter, Avery, who was age three at the time, was stuck in a pattern of thousands of daily intractable seizures and had been recently diagnosed with Myoclonic-Astatic Epilepsy. We were in the Emergency Room at McMaster Children’s Hospital, and were being told the news we were longing to hear – that Avery would be accepted into the care of the Neurology Clinic and admitted on an urgent basis for Classic Ketogenic Diet therapy. This news was a relief after our relentless search to
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find help within Canada and the tears of joy were streaming down my face. And, also down Laura’s. This empathy that Laura displayed from the first minutes we met her became the common thread between the many times we worked with Laura. She invested in our family in a way far beyond our expectations from that very first day – sharing in the emotional baggage, as well as the big decision-making, and really connecting with our confident and creative daughter. She was Avery’s champion over every hurdle. I remember very clearly the day that Avery had her first MRI booked.
This diagnostic procedure was an unknown for us and Laura knew that Avery was anxious about the procedure. We were speechless as Laura came in on her day off to make sure that Avery was okay. During clinic visits, Laura would bring Avery on special adventures to keep her occupied, safe, and calm. She visited us in the ward during illnesses that landed Avery for inpatient care or during EEGs, coached us, advocated for us on and off the clock, and fundraised for the service most near and dear to her heart – the hospital. Laura’s passion for caring for the health and
nd prize well-being of children is so evident. She invests in her profession and sets a high standard of excellence. We have been the most lucky recipients of Nurse Laura’s expertise, empathy, and passion for nursing. Her dedication to working with our family and her medical team contributed significantly to Avery’s neurological and emotional health, helping her to achieve remission. We are forever grateful that Laura was the nurse who took us under her wing when we needed a hero in our lives the most. Nominated by Kari Lockett, Mom to Avery Continued on page 28 MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 27
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Laura Bainbridge Continued from page 27
FROM HER PATIENT:
2ND NOMINATION
I’m Avery and I had seizures when I was three years old. I had to go to the hospital and they put a tube in my belly to give me medicine and food. Nurse Laura gave me special things because she cares about me. She gave me toys and stuffies because she knows I love them. We went to Nurse Laura’s house to buy cookies and lemonade to help her raise money for the hospital. From, Avery Lockett. Age 8- In remission from Myoclonic-Astatic Epilepsy.
I would LOVE to nominate Laura Bainbridge who works in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at McMaster Children’s Hospital. I have had the pleasure of working with her for three years and I can genuinely say she is the most selfless and caring person I have ever met. She goes above and beyond to look after everyone else without a thought to herself. She is always leaving me motivational messages and cheering me
Nurse Laura is my:
H-appy. E-xcellent. R O-utrageous Nurse! -idiculously Funny.
on in all aspects of my life. She has supported me through many ups and downs through losses of family members or celebrating my successes. She is the biggest cheerleader in my life. I honestly cannot put into words how much she inspires me, lifts me up, makes me feel special, believes in me, supports me and goes so far above and beyond being a colleague. Nominated by Stacey Clark
3RD NOMINATION This award describes exactly who she is – Laura is in every sense of the word a hero to her patients, her colleagues, and to her friends and family. I have had the privilege to call Laura my colleague for the past five-and-ahalf years. As soon as I met Laura, I knew that she was a special person. She has the ability to make everyone feel important and listened to. She will help anyone with pretty much anything if she can. Laura goes above and beyond in so many different aspects of her life. I was given the daunting task of taking over Laura’s position in the pediatric Neurology clinic at Mc-
Thank you to nurses Nurses are thanked daily by the people of Ontario for supporting them in health and tending to their needs in times of illness. During Nursing Week, May 6 to 12, RNAO – the professional body that represents RNs, NPs and nursing students in Ontario – extends its collective, deep gratitude to nurses for their expertise and unwavering dedication. Nurses are beacons for those in pursuit of health, equity and work that is grounded in evidence and compassion. It was Florence Nightingale, the Lady of the Lamp and founder or modern nursing, whose care for soldiers led countries around the world to adopt sanitary reforms and improvements. For this, May 12 – the birthdate of Nightingale – is recognized the world around as the day of the nurse. The noble and brilliant work of nurses is all the more necessary in an Ontario where patients are cared for on hallway gurneys, too many citizens are plagued by poverty, and improvements are urgently needed in the care of children, adults and the elderly. We salute all nurses for intervening to save lives, strengthen communities and shape decisions in the hallways of Queen’s Park.
Master Children’s Hospital, working with Dr. Ronen. She worked with Dr. Ronen for a number of years, and in that time she became immensely important to the patients and families that she worked with. I know this as I was the one who had to attempt to fill her nursing shoes in this role. Patients would come to clinic or call on the phone and say “where’s nurse Laura?” as soon as they saw me or heard my voice. I would say that she had changed roles, and every single patient and parent expressed how much they would miss her! Time and time again I was told what a difference Laura made in the lives of these patients and their families. There were stories of Laura helping families to understand a recent diagnosis that they had been given, to helping parents “survive” through a tough transition in their child’s medications. There were stories of how kind Laura is and how she always made the children feel a little more at ease at the doctor’s office. A few even said that their child WANTED to come to the hospital as they knew they were going to get to see Nurse Laura. Continued on page 43
Angela Cooper Brathwaite RN, MN, PhD President, RNAO
Doris Grinspun RN, MSN, PhD, LLD(hon), Dr(hc), FAAN, O.ONT. CEO, RNAO
Your expertise, dedication and resilience shine.
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NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Christine Murphy
The Ottawa Hospital hristine Murphy is a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence. (NSWOC), at the Ottawa, Hospital, Civic Campus, Ottawa, Ontario. Christine was a registered nurse working in the trauma unit and decided to take the wound ostomy continence nursing education program and continued her educational pathway completing a Masters of Clinical Science in Wound Healing (MScClin-WH) and PhD concentrating on vascular wounds which is rare in the nursing field. When she started her role as a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence ( NSWOC), it was a hospital wide position and not just focused in vascular wounds. She decided that there was a need to provide a focused program on vascular wound management and through a meeting with the Chief of Vascular Surgery, she explored aligning her efforts to support a complex vascular wound service. Christine was referred to another Vascular Surgeon who had become very interested in wound management – Dr. Tim Brandys. Together with Dr Bandys, they identified a need to create stronger communication among the healthcare team to better support those experiencing vascular wounds from hospital to community. They also developed methods to provide better outcomes for patients experiencing vascular wounds once they moved from the
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hospital to the community where they could have access to out-patient care. Christine was committed to change practice in how patients with vascular wounds were being managed. She started reaching out to all stakeholders and actively looked at ways to engage them in coordinated care setting up a model where everyone feels they are adding something positive to improving wound care , breaking down silos. Christine also contacted nurses in senior home care positions to discuss ideas as to how to improve serving patients with vascular wounds from hospital to community. She started to educate other healthcare professionals by explaining rationale, and informing staff physicians and residents on the need to share their patient cases at vascular grand rounds. She worked relentlessly to build trust between the interprofessional healthcare team members in order to be more effective. As a result of many hours of work, twelve years ago, the first Limb Preservation Wound Clinic with a half day clinic in Parkdale was initiated at the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus. Christine and the team knew that they could make a positive change to reduce both inpatient and home care costs, the number of hospital readmissions and cut down on antibiotic use. After graduating with her PhD from Western which was focused on vascular wounds, it was time for Christine to move into a change-agent role
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PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE GRATEFUL FOR CHRISTINE’S KNOWLEDGE AND ADVOCACY AS SHE ENSURES THEY RECEIVE THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF PATIENT CARE. where she could put her expanded knowledge and skills to use. The department of vascular surgery supported this role where a Limb Preservation Program could be further developed. This program involved inpatients and outpatients of the vascular surgery department where research could be initiated and data collection and outcomes could be tracked. When asked about what makes Christine a Nursing Hero, it is clear that Christine is a triple threat. In addition to her clinical role, Christine serves as the President of the Wound ,Ostomy and Continence Nurses Canada ( NSWOCC) supporting wound, ostomy and continence education and programs to over 600 nurses nationally. She presents locally, regionally ,na-
tionally and internationally on vascular wounds, infection control and limb preservation and is actively involved in research to support practice change. Christine has supported the launch of an innovative and sustainable Limb Preservation Clinic at the Ottawa Hospital ( Civic Campus) which acts as a “Hub” to the many “Spokes” of smaller communities in and around the Ottawa area. At the Ottawa Hospital ( Civic Campus) Limb Preservation Clinic, family-centered care is a priority. Christine embodies that in all she does, and by providing continuity of care to patients and families. Patients and their families are grateful for Christine’s knowledge and advocacy as she ensures they receive the highest standard of patient care. Continued on page 43 MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 29
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Rebecca Gonser Continued from page 26 Within one week, the pressure injury resolved. Rebecca’s devotion to patients and nurses is astounding. She is a fantastic nurse, and a positive force to work with. Sincerely, Caitlin Cornish , RN
3RD NOMINATION Rebecca consistently goes over and above every day! She generously offered to be a regular primary nurse for a patient, Buddy (not his real name), who was a high school student who was involved in a very bad car crash, resulting in a severe head injury. As a result of his head injury he was disinhibited, and verbally and physically abusive towards staff and his family. Because of his size, his propensity to hit out and kick out, and his ongoing slew of verbal abuse it was challenging to find nurses who wanted to care for him. However, because of his behaviour he also derived benefit from consistent nurses. Rebecca stepped up to the plate to act as a primary nurse
and to care for him, redirect him and to encourage him to take part in his care, to become more independent, to demonstrate that he could go to a rehabilitation hospital. She played a pivotal role through her skilled nursing, and positive attitude, with a ready smile, that Buddy was able to achieve his goal and go to a Rehabilitation Centre, where he eventually recovered well enough to return home and to school. Rebecca also stands out as she is always willing to take on new learning and challenges. She has sought out training to become one of our few skilled nurses to provide very specialized education and care to patients, their families and staff about spinal cord injuries. She is on the Hospital Emergency Response Team for Sunnybrook. She participates as an educator in the PARTY program (Prevent Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth) a program developed at SHSC. She is an instructor in the Stop the Bleed
SEIU Healthcare Nursing Division Champions Unity: One Goal, One Team, One Vision SEIU Healthcare, Canada’s Healthcare Union, is proud to celebrate our professional, hard-working nurses.
Our coverage meets and can exceed the requirements of the College of Nurses of Ontario.
SEIU Healthcare is the only service union in Ontario that has a dedicated space for nurses with its own constitution and bylaws. Our Nursing Division promotes leadership, diversity, and unity through educational training and political activism. We advocate with our nurses regarding their professional scope of practice.
During Nursing Week 2019, our nurses will be hosting in-unit events across the province that will be fun opportunities to connect with each other and celebrate their profession. The events will also be a chance for nurses to plan actions that can bring positive changes to nursing. The Nursing Division will also be hosting regional social events and a political lobby day at Queen’s Park. Our Nursing Division is committed to educating decision makers on the importance of addressing the recruitment and retention crisis in nursing and achieving zero tolerance for violence and harassment toward nurses in their workplaces.
Our nurses are leaders who identify issues and find solutions to improve their workplace and the healthcare system. We have heard from nurses that they have excessive and unsafe workloads, so we are promoting the use of Workload Review Forms to better track working conditions. SEIU Healthcare’s Nursing Division also offers numerous quality assurance learning modules and free Professional Liability Protection (PLP) insurance for all our nurses. The PLP insurance covers all nursing practice from facilityto-facility, even in a workplace that is not unionized with SEIU Healthcare.
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We invest in our nurses because we know that nurses play a critical role in quality patient, resident, and client care in every sector of healthcare. Thank you #SEIUNurses! To learn more about SEIU Healthcare’s Nursing Division please visit www.seiunurses.ca.
Course at SHSC, and facilitated training to new educators. She participates in Quality Improvement Projects and Practice Based Research. She is also a member of the Practice Council. She participates in the BIST run (Brain Injury Support Toronto) on a regular basis, encouraging others to join in. Nominated by Janna Di Pinto MSW, RSW Social Worker, Trauma
4TH NOMINATION This story about an extraordinary nurse is so valuable considering today’s focus on violence and health care workers. Right from the start, I knew she would have a positive impact on patient care and on interprofessional relationships. It is rare to see a young nurse with such confidence and comfort in working on a diverse interprofessional team. The following story is a perfect example of how Rebecca has become a nursing hero... for all staff. We recently had an incident on the floor where a code white was called and the team was confronted with a violent and high risk scenario involving a patient and multiple family members in the hallway of the unit. Both hospital security and the Toronto Police were called to diffuse this situation. The staff working at the time and the patients on the floor witnessed some shocking verbal and physical violence, and for a period of time before police arrived, the hospital security team was struggling to control the situation. By all accounts, staff felt out of control and vulnerable. As a team, we debriefed the next day in what we call a ‘code lavender’, where a colleague from spiritual care leads a group discussion to diffuse tension and discuss our feelings. Rebecca, along with many other nurses and allied health professionals attended this session, where feelings of fear of workplace violence were shared openly and honestly by almost all of the staff in the room. Because of the severity of the incident, a second debrief was held later in the day with many of the same unit-level nurses and allied health, but this time management, senior leadership and members of the security team, including the head of security were present. The climate in the room
completely changed with the presence of leadership. In the previous meeting, where members of the team were clearly comfortable and outspoken about their feelings, almost no one was willing to speak up in this ‘high stakes’ scenario. Members of the leadership team empathized with the team, and discussed ways in which policies and procedures would be improved in light of the incident. The focus was on overall unit and patient safety. It was Rebecca who took this opportunity to highlight the fear staff were feeling during this incident. With passion and emotion, she relayed the details of our earlier debriefing and articulated how unsafe, vulnerable and fearful nursing and allied health felt during the incident in question, and about the general increase in violent incidents on the unit as a whole. She bravely put her heart on the table, becoming tearful in the process, and spoke for all those who felt too intimidated to do so. She emphasized how feeling unsafe at work is not acceptable, and that before we can keep patients and families safe and secure, we need to feel that way ourselves. There was a palpable diffusion of tension in the room when Rebecca started talking. She was relaying exactly what everyone else wanted to express, and she did so from a place of profound love and respect for the C5 staff. It was incredibly impactful. As a result, the conversation started to unfold in a more open and honest way. Because of Rebecca’s bravery, the leadership team left the meeting with a clear sense of how violence in the workplace is a major factor in job satisfaction and that it must be addressed right away. Since that meeting, multiple safety measures have been improved or implemented, including a standard hourly security walk around, locked patient care unit doors, and mock ‘code silver/ active shooter’ scenarios for staff members. Rebecca’s one voice tipped the scales toward meaningful improvements in staff safety. Her speaking up for what was right was a true moment of heroism. Erin MacGregor, RD Clinical Dietitian, Trauma, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, H Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. ■ www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Ali-Akber Shermohammed The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health am writing to nominate my colleague Ali-Akber Shermohammed. He is a full-time RNs and a great team lead at the CAMH schizophrenia acute care unit. Every day Ali works very hard, combining team lead role with primary nursing. He excels in both roles, making sure his team functions smoothly and also always has time for any of the 25 clients on the unit. Even though it is not part of his role as a charge nurse, he still spends time talking to clients when they want to talk, helps them deal with their anxieties and symptoms. Clients ask him for help and not the assigned primary nurses because Ali is the best in relating to clients and the most helpful from the client’s perspective. He is great at de-escalat-
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ing agitated clients and many times he was able to prevent Code Whites from happening while supporting clients through difficult times without the need for restraints. I learn every day from Ali about how to make clients feel heard and understood and how to build such strong therapeutic relationships that even during worst periods of psychosis they still trust him and are willing to talk to him. In addition, for clients who are more stable he goes out of his way to support their needs, sometimes sacrificing his own needs. For example he takes clients to the gym to play basketball almost every day (not part of his
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32 HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2019
role and not required) and on some days he does not take a break or takes a very short break to accommodate this. Clients appreciate this greatly because our unit is highly acute and very busy, therefore other nurses are too busy attending to more acute clients to be able to accompany those who feel better to go play basketball or to work out in the gym. Ali makes time to play cards with clients or to play videogames or simply chatting and making them feel supported. He is my personal nursing hero and I believe he deserves this title more than anyone I know. Nominated by: Julia Knap, RN, CPMHN.
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2ND NOMINATION I would like to nominate Ali-Akber Shermohammed as my nursing hero. I know this is long but I really hope it does him justice as he truly deserves recognition for his hard work and dedication. If a person was trying to choose a career and performed a Google search on what a Registered Nurse is they would find an official definition describing the technicalities and specifics regarding the profession. Anyone can read these definitions and websites, and decide to work hard and go to school and obtain the degree necessary to become an RN. What the Internet will not prepare you for is the hardships in nursing; the dynamics, the sacrifice, and the empathy that is involved. Nursing can be a satisfying career but it also has the potential to be detrimental to one’s health. Think about it, a nurse is constantly putting others needs before their own, listening to their client as well as their family members predicaments, not taking a break which leads to not being able to eat or go to the
bathroom, and long shifts that are exhausting. All of these things combined can become overwhelming, they can persuade many individuals to skip that career in nursing and choose a different profession, but some people, some people were just born to be nurses. Ali is one of those individuals. Ali works relentlessly to ensure that the clients on our acute schizophrenia unit are taken care of. He began as a front line nurse and quickly became amazing at it. He is usually one of the only people on the team (which consists of and is not limited to nurses, psychiatrists, security, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, behavioural therapists, social workers, and pharmacists) to de-escalate a client while avoiding a code white situation. He is known at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and is even called to other floors to assist with clients in order to avoid a conflict that can potentially lead to an aggressive situation. Ali respects our clients, who are often marginalized and left out in society. He advocates for them both on the unit and on the street, never leaving his nursing career at the door when he leaves the unit for the day. He rarely will take a break, and if he does it is generally on the unit so he is never too far away if a problem were to arise. Ali understands fully how to be empathetic, he gives the clients someone to speak to, he does not define them by their diagnosis and does not let the diagnosis impede them. Instead, he treats our clients with dignity, pays attention to their hobbies and likes and dislikes and builds a rapport with them that many other staff members are not able to achieve. Ali is able to get a severely paranoid client to believe and trust in him despite the client’s strong delusions while in psychosis. He allows for the clients to have a safe space with him, he will play games with them, take them to the gym, and take them out on walks instead of taking a break or going home to his family on time. www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Ali got promoted (rightfully so) to team lead of the unit. This job consists of being the charge nurse of the unit, basically managing the other staff, doing administrative tasks as well as dealing with bed flow. Most team leaders do not take care of clients as their job becomes more on the managerial side of things, however not Ali. He completes the team lead role tasks exceptionally and is still somehow able to take care of the most acute clients on the unit. He even has time to speak with clients that are not assigned to him, but who often turn to him because they know that they can rely on him. He resonates with the clients regardless of their race, gender, illness, or age and this is what makes him so impactful. There are many stories that can be told to demonstrate his impeccable nursing but there is a specific one that stands out to me. A young client of ours had been aggressive to others and was at risk of self-harm and therefore required locked seclusion.
Ali-Akber Shermohammed
Continued on page 45
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MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 33
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
“MEGHAN IS AN INSPIRATION EACH DAY. HER CREATIVE THINKING AND CARE PLANNING FOR OUR DEMENTIA PATIENTS IS INCOMPARABLE. SHE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND EACH AND EVERY DAY AND WE ARE TRULY LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING EDUCATOR GUIDING OUR TEAM.” – NGAIRE I. (CLINICAL LEADER) ACUTE MEDICINE
Meghan McBride
Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences Network hen you say you are looking for a “nursing hero”, one name immediately comes to mind within the Acute Medicine program at the Hamilton General Hospital: Meghan McBride. Meghan is a Registered Nurse who is the Clinical Educator for 8 South and 8 West, two of the Acute Medicine units at the Hamilton General Hospital. She is both a formal and informal leader whom all health professionals, not only nurses, respect and admire. On a day-to-day basis, Meghan goes above and beyond expectation. She prides herself in performing “meaningful work grounded in the principles of openness, creativity, curiosity and reflection”.
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Meghan acts as formal educator through the corporation’s Critical Practice Orientation training, by presenting the interpretation of normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms and teaching what the nurse’s action should be in response to them. She instructs at the hospital’s Annual Review and has encouraged front-line staff participation in this important education initiative. She helps facilitate the orientation of new staff and is a necessary resource to seasoned staff. She provides education through in-services and is creative in doing so, such as coordinating an education session on wound care and including the participation of a patient telling us
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“MEGHAN IS ENERGETIC, SUPPORTIVE, AND AN EXCELLENT GUIDE AND LEADER. SHE IS A CONSTANT POSITIVE ENERGY ON THE UNIT. A GENERAL GREAT COWORKER ALL THE WAY AROUND.” – KARMEN D. (RN), ACUTE MEDICINE. their own personal experience, or creating an “Escape Room” of learning. More recently, she has a vested interest in patients with delirium and dementia who can present with behaviours that are difficult to manage in the daily busyness of an acute inpatient unit. Meghan has truly been a leader in creating behavioural strategies to help minimize these behaviours. She led the team in partnering with Behavioural Supports Ontario to have simulation-based learning that addressed
unit-specific struggles. These strategies included Gentle Persuasive Approach that is crucial to this population. She has spearheaded the introduction of the Interdisciplinary Team Meetings that assists in bringing all members of the team together to discuss strategies and create an action plan for the safety of both the patient and for staff. She has partnered with a Geriatrician and developed documentation standards that need to occur for these meetings and patients. Continued on page 45
34 HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2019
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Trillium Health Partners
CELEBRATES NATIONAL
NURSING WEEK May 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12, 2019 | #VoiceToLead
Nurses are vital members of our interprofessional health care team, helping us deliver on our mission by providing compassionate and high quality care to our patients and their families. National Nursing Week is a time to acknowledge the compassion, excellence and courage that nurses bring to their practice.
Thank you to the more than 4,200 nurses at Trillium Health Partners for providing exceptional patient care each and every day.
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Elli Clarke Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre y name is Jay Davis. On November 6, 2014, I had lifesaving and life altering triple bypass surgery at Sunnybrook Hospital. Following my recovery I decided that I wanted to give back to the hospital as a thank you to all of those who helped save my life. In May of 2015 I officially became a HeartPal, a volunteer position that allows me to come in to the hospital on a weekly basis and meet with patients who are about to undergo major heart surgery and share my experience with them. This program is the first of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area. It was through this program that I met Elli Clarke, who is the current Cardiac Coordinator of this program and also a CV/ICU nurse. Working alongside Elli on a weekly basis has allowed me to see firsthand her incredible integrity, commitment, compassion and patience. Elli goes out of her way to make sure that all of her patients have a full understanding of their impending surgery and is always sensitive to their fears and their many questions. She follows up with all her patients to make sure they are recovering properly and checks in with families to ensure they are looked after as well. Elli has also been instrumental in researching and championing the Sunnybrook Cardiac Surgery Support Group which much like the HeartPal program, is the first of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area. The group meets from 6-8 pm the third Thursday of every month and allows recovering heart surgery patients and family members the opportunity to share their experiences, concerns, fears and strategies for recovering in a save inclusive and respectful environment. It should be noted that Elli also heads up this group after hours and on her own free time. For all her hard work and dedication and especially for her ability to stand out and make a difference, I would like to nominate Elli Clarke as my nursing hero. Nominated by Jay Davis, a volunteer at Sunnybrook
Photo by: Doug Nicholson, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
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2ND NOMINATION I am respectfully submitting my nomination for the 2019 Nursing Hero Award. Ms. Elli Clarke has been a nurse working full time for the past 12 years. She began her career as a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit nurse at Sunnybrook Health Sciences, working in one of the most stressful and demanding environments for an early career nurse. I had the pleasure of first meeting Elli during my tenure as staff Cardiac Surgeon at Sunnybrook. I recall vividly Elliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unsurpassed work ethic, her skill, and her unmatched bedside manner in dealing with critically ill patients. But one aspect in particular which made Elli stand out from the others was her caring and compassion. On one particular occasion, I remember the manner in which she cared for a dying patient. The patient had suffered an acute aortic dissection, and had undergone emergent cardiac surgery. Soon after the surgery, however, it became apparent that the patient was not going to survive, and had only hours to live. The patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife was called in to spend the last hours with her dying husband. It quickly became apparent that the wife had no immediate family to support her during her time of grief. Elli put aside her paperwork, and spent the entire shift sitting beside the wife, holding her, and consoling her. Elli even went on to forgo her break so that she could stay with the wife. At the end of her shift, Elli stayed on until the patient passed. In fact, she stayed hours past her shift to enable her to complete her paperwork. This is not just the kind of person Elli is, but the kind of nurse she is. She epitomizes everything that nursing stands for: skill, excellence, caring, compassion. Elli has since transitioned into a nursing leadership role. She is currently the Head Triage Coordinator for the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she manages triage, scheduling, and booking of all inpatients requiring urgent cardiac surgery. Even in this role, www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019 Elli has gone beyond the call, working tirelessly and independently in her free time to establish the first ever Sunnybrook Cardiac Surgery Patient Support Group. This initiative was Elli’s brainchild, established to enable patients and families of patients undergoing cardiac surgery to share their experiences, concerns, fears, and strategies for recovery, in a safe and inclusive environment. As is evident from the above, Elli is one of a kind, and I truly believe that she is worthy of the title “Nursing Hero”. Nominated by: Dr. Gideon Cohen MD,PhD,FRCS(C). Chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Coordinator for Cardiac Surgery. I have been a staff cardiac surgeon for close to 30 years, former Divisional Head and Professor of Surgery at University of Toronto. I have worked alongside Elli for the past 15 years, i.e. during both roles. I can attest that Elli is a very skilled ICU nurse, and her bedside care and input into the overall patient management was invaluable. In addition, she wanted to grow in her position – she was a George Brown clinical instructor for the ICU program, and also served as one of the charge nurses in CVICU. The triage role began for Elli about five years ago, initially as a part time position, and later full time. The position is challenging – it requires someone with excellent clinical knowledge as well as superb communicative skills as the individual needs to relate to health care teams both inside and outside the institution as well as the patients in a very timely manner. There are also pressures from the in-
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3RD NOMINATION I am nominating Elli Clarke in the strongest possible terms for the Nursing Hero Award. Elli has been at Sunnybrook for approximately 15 years – initially as a CVICU nurse, and then later as a Triage
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stitution as cardiac surgery is volume funded. The stress level is high. There are frequently conflicts that need to be resolved; the operative schedule changes regularly, as patients’ conditions change, and new emergencies arise. Hence, the need for effective triage. Elli however manages to work through these situations with equanimity. As well, during this time she has worked diligently toward standardizing the triage process through the development of an orientation process, communication documents, and restructuring of the pre-operative education through a revamping of the class and teaching material. Most recently, she has identified a gap in post-operative treatment focused on depression and anxiety. This will be addressed in the form of a cardiac surgery support group. The Sunnybrook HSC cardiac surgical support group is likely the first of its kind in the GTA. The group will meet every third Wednesday of the month which will allow recovering surgical patient and family members the opportunity to share experiences, concern, fears and strategies to improve the recov-
ery process. The idea of this program is supported by evidence to reduce infection rates, readmission rates, overall patient satisfaction and most of all improve outcomes. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention her baking. Elli routinely brings home baked goods from home for the team on H4, which are invariably extremely tasty, if not heart friendly. This is something that she clearly has done on her own volition. We are very grateful for this little something extra from Elli – we are very appreciative of her efforts, and this little something extra helps reduce the anxiety we routinely face treating patients with severe heart disease. What is the Nursing Hero Story? It is of course everything I mentioned in this letter, but maybe in addition to all of her qualifications it’s the little something extra is what makes Elli so special. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any questions related to this letter of recommendation. Again, I strongly support Elli Clarke as the Nursing Hero. Nominated by Dr. Stephen E. H Fremes ■
Our nurses make Extraordinary Caring & Innovation their daily mission Join Niagara Health – a proud Best Practice Spotlight Organization since 2002 – in celebrating nursing professionals everywhere, and the compassion, ingenuity and leadership of our nursing team. Caring and innovative, our Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses go above and beyond to make extraordinary patient outcomes a reality for the communities we serve across Niagara Region. Visit our website to find out more and apply online.
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MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 37
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Susan Davidson The Hospital for Sick Children, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto usan Davidson manages the practice of a dozen or so consultant paediatricians, both at the Hospital for Sick Children and at St Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. For three days per week, over the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of working with this absolutely incredible, inspiring health care provider for children. As is customary for the practice of a paediatrician, my patients eventually graduate. It is typical that they they thank me for my years of service with a warm handshake. Susan gets the warm embraces. It is because she becomes an integral part of the lives of so many families. She is the voice on the other end
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SUSAN IS THE HERO TO THE SICK AND TO THE HEALED. SHE IS THE HERO TO THE ENGAGED AND TO THE DISENFRANCHISED. of the phone when they need help. She successfully navigates under-resourced services for families. She advocates for families by attending team meetings, by writing impassionate letters, by calling and emailing and calling again. She is the voice on the other end of the phone when I need help with a difficult medical decision. She is my most trusted colleague. She is my wisest advisor. She is the heart and soul of my practice. My medical trainees discuss cases with her (to make sure they get it right)
Nursing Week Is Something To Celebrate! On behalf of all of us at the Health Care Providers Group Insurance plan, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate all of the hard-working nurses across Canada! The impact you have on our healthcare system is immense and invaluable, and we’re forever grateful for the positive differences that you make each and every day. Thank you for your continuous compassion, care and dedication!
38 HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2019
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before discussing with me. Susan triages consults to me, helps figure out disposition, helps solve dilemmas and develop treatment plans and asks me nothing more than, “…if you agree, sign here”. We work with many kids and teens with mental health challenges. Susan has performed neurodevelopment testing for kids, provided counselling for families, navigated options, championed their advocacy and educated them. She has cried with families in times of both sadness and success. She has enriched the lives of so many families dealing with mental and medical health issues. However, when a child’s health is not improving, understandably, parents become frustrated with their health care providers. Parents who have ‘fired’ all of their doctors and nurses, continue to remain engaged with healthcare through Susan. She is not just the hero for kids who are doing great, she is the hero for families continuing to suffer. There are so many examples but here are a couple of very recent ones that come to mind: [1] We treated a girl with significant impairment from ADHD and anxiety for many years. Mom was very motivated and bright and bonded with Susan. Through testing that Susan performed, advocacy for this girl’s Individual Education Plan, ensuring medication was titrated, re-ordered, adjusted and optimized and through letters of support, subspecialty referrals, coordination of care and tons of emotional support, guidance and education that Susan provided to this family for over a decade, this was a success story. Her daughter who was also very bright and motivated, matured and grew in confidence and graduated from our clinic (at
18 years of age) and was accepted to University. In her 2nd year, while thriving, she was diagnosed with lymphoma. At the age of 20, who did they call for emotional support and to help them navigate the healthcare system? They called who they needed and trusted; their paediatric nurse, Susan. We all cried; and then Susan got to work ensuring that this girl was getting the best care and providing ongoing emotional support to this family. [2] We treated a child with complex mental health challenges and although gifted, was doing poorly. Not surprisingly mom was frustrated with the care they were getting from the sub-specialists we had referred them to. Mom severed relationships with these health care providers and lodged complaints. This child was doing poorly at school as well and, not surprisingly, mom was frustrated with the school and severed relationships and lodged complaints. Despite this mom being perceived as ‘difficult’ by many, Susan saw her suffering and the good in her. Susan facilitated psychiatric care that was a better fit for the child and despite mom’s disenchantment with our health care system and with our educational system, recently, while heading into the examining room for another child, I noticed this mom dropping off a wrapped gift for Susan. Susan is the hero to the sick and to the healed. She is the hero to the engaged and to the disenfranchised. She is my hero too. Susan’s efficient and thorough care of our patients has allowed me ‘protected time’ to be successful in academia. I have won awards because of her hard work and it’s not fair. It’s time she wins one. Nominated by, Dr. Mark Feldman MD FRCPC, Associate Professor, University of Toronto, Director, Community Paediatrics & Continuing Education, The Hospital for Sick Children and Saint H Joseph’s Health Centre. ■ www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
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MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 39
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Paul Welsby Trillium Health Partners t is with great pleasure that I nominate Paul Welsby, Renal Navigator, for consideration for the 2019 Nursing Hero Award. Throughout his career, Paul has repeatedly demonstrated his passion and commitment to improving the quality of patient care, service delivery, and team morale. This award provides an opportunity for the Regional Renal Program to recognize and show appreciation for Paul’s compassionate nature, outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to both the program and Trillium Health Partners (THP) as a whole. With over 20 years’ experience at THP, Paul has served many roles within the Regional Renal Program. Starting as a young and eager Registered Nurse (RN), Paul quickly excelled, gaining experience at all renal sites. Some of his most notable positions
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include Education Facilitator, Clinical Leader and most recently, Patient Navigator. Paul is exceptionally gifted in viewing complex situations from a variety of perspectives. Driven by his intrigue and passion for health care, he is always looking for new possibilities, and innovations; and approaches each new challenge with initiative and enthusiasm. For example, over the last year, the program experienced significant growth across all Chronic Kidney Disease modalities; including our inpatient need, where there is limited capacity but increasing demand. To address this issue, the program planned to pilot an inpatient Navigator role to help coor-
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SE Health recognizes and thanks all Nurses across Canada during Nursing Week As we celebrate Nursing Week, SE Health would like to recognize and give a tremendous thank you to all nurses across Canada for their leadership and commitment to spreading Hope and Happiness into the lives of patients and their families. SE Health is deeply rooted in nursing. Our story began in 1908 when four nurses came together in Toronto, to establish Saint Elizabeth Visiting Nurses Association to provide care to the poor, new moms and babies, and others in need. We celebrate over 110 years of nurses paving the way to becoming the largest segment of health care workers that are uniquely qualified to be innovation activators, influencers, designers and collaborators. #SENurses are committed to their patients, families and communities, utilizing their wide range of expertise and skills to provide excellence in care. They are patient advocates in our health care system, bringing kindness, a drive to learn and quality practice to the care they provide. Through May 6-12 give a big ‘Thank You’ to a nurse you know, and tag them using #SENurses, for all of their hard work and dedication in taking care of Canadians.
40 HOSPITAL NEWS MAY 2019
dinate dialysis needs and access. Seizing a new opportunity, Paul volunteered for the role and rose to the challenge. He partnered with Nephrologists and clinical partners across Patient Care Services to improve access, coordination and support individual discharge planning. Since the launch of the pilot in November 2018, Paul has been able to support a 76 per cent reduction in delayed treatments, thereby improving patient safety due to fewer delayed dialysis treatments through better coordination of care. In addition, patient flow improved by reducing shuttling patients to receive their dialysis. These efforts have contributed to improved sustainability and will save THP an estimated $58,000 per year in avoidable costs (i.e. shuttling, back-fill, overtime etc.). Clinical partners have noted the impact to patient safety and experience, and have supported the program in pursuing a permanent inpatient Navigator role to continue Paul’s effective management of patient flow and resources. Christine Johnson, Manager Cardiac Health, commented: “It has been my experience that Paul has been professional, communicated well, followed-up with the Cardiac teams and worked very collaboratively with our group.” This pilot was successful in large part to Paul’s enthusiasm, commitment, and resilience. Furthermore, Paul is known to the program and teams across the hospital for his creativity and team mentality.
Always humble and ready to help, Paul never declines an opportunity to assist staff and patients. Paul’s approachable nature makes staff and patients comfortable in seeking his guidance, wisdom, and coaching. Armed with a wealth of knowledge, Paul is always able to adapt and communicate in a way that supports the needs of the learner. For example, Paul led the creation of an educational video to support patient education. He also collaborates with the other Renal Navigators to coordinate and run Patient Education Nights for Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis and Transplant. In valuing the contributions of team work, Paul is quick to recognize the efforts of his team and calls out individuals for their exceptional work. Paul is also known for his thoughtfulness. Staff recall Paul purchasing gift cards from his own money as a “thank you” to clinical leaders and staff. He also “anonymously” donated a tea set and beautiful pottery as staff prizes for World Kidney Day; further demonstrating his kindness and generosity. Staff also recall Paul’s playfulness. He has a keen ability to use humour to uplift patients and staff, defuse stressful situations, and manage patient care situations. As an example, Paul once wrote and coordinated a play for the Patient Christmas Party and injected humour to uplift everyone’s spirit. Nominated by Kimberly Moore, Program Director, Out-patient Medicine and Regional Chronic Kidney Disease ProH gram, Trillium Health Partners. ■ www.hospitalnews.com
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Carolyn Lawton Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre arolyn has spent her career in nursing sounding the alarm that action must be taken to stop the diabetes epidemic. The human toll of diabetes is great as it makes its presence known everywhere. Diabetes contributes to 30 per cent of strokes, 40 per cent of heart attacks and 50 per cent of kidney failure requiring dialysis, 70 per cent of non-traumatic limb amputations and is the leading cause of blindness. So how does one nurse make a difference to stem the tide of this health care tsunami? She graduates from the University of Western Ontario and with BScN in hand finds work on a medical unit at Toronto General Hospital. This staff nurse position exposed her to a number of chronic conditions that lit her passion for enabling patients to self-manage their own care. The light bulb came on that patients with diabetes need to actively participate in their own healthcare, but often lack the resources to do so. Addressing the nursing challenge of supporting behaviour change led her to a University of Toronto Master’s thesis based on Dorothea Orem’s Theory of Self-Care. In 1988 the timing proved right for Carolyn, as Sunnybrook was willing to invest in diabetes care and education, which aligned with Carolyn’s ambition to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Diabetes. She provided advanced consultation and support for diabetes practice and education for patients, their families and staff. Diabetes Education Centres were a new concept and just beginning to evolve. Treatment options and technology were very limited, compared
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Photo by: Doug Nicholson, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
to what we have today. The one constant that remains is that people still have the same fears about their future health. Carolyn was up to the task with her colleagues to create and lead from the ground up a program that would provide the essential knowledge and skills but also appreciate that the patient was the ultimate decision-maker. The Sunnybrook Diabetes Education Centre (SUNDEC) was born! Under her guidance and stewardship SUNDEC had to be more than an education program. It has continued to evolve and for more than 30 years has been there for people to assist them to live well with diabetes through innovative programming and support. Carolyn then received her Acute Care Nurse Practitioner EC certification in 1996 and transitioned into the role of Nurse Practitioner for Diabetes from 1997 to the present. She provides advanced diabetes care for medically complex patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She participates in the Rapid Referral and Assessment Clinic, (RADAR), dealing with patients in urgent need of enhanced diabetes management. Carolyn is the Chair for the inter-professional Nephrology/SUNDEC journal club, and is a member of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee as the Nurse Practitioner representative. As a member of the Inpatient Diabetes Committee she has contributed to many quality improvement initiatives such as: Hypoglycemic protocol
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and Subcutaneous Insulin Order sets, Insulin self-management pen policy, Insulin Pump Policy and was a lead in the hospital wide Insulin pen conversion project. Carolyn has a strong commitment to the mentoring and preceptorship of nursing students. As an adjunct clinical appointee to the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto (U of T), she has been the preceptor for numerous U of T NP students. She was the primary NP Mentor through an RNAO Clinical fellowship, to assist a renal Nurse Practitioner to expand her scope of practice to improve diabetes care for patients with both chronic kidney disease and diabetes. Her research interests include reducing the occurrence of hypoglycemia for the inpatient population and exploring remedial factors associated with hospital readmissions for patients with diabetes. Carolyn has received many honours and accolades which are too numerous
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to mention, but some notable highlights include the Banting and Best Diabetes Educator of the Year (2009), team recipient of the Best Research for Developing Country award from the Journal of Wound Care through her work with the Canadian-Guyanese Collaboration to Improve Diabetes Foot Care (2013). Carolyn has also amassed an impressive collection of research, oral and poster presentations as well as publications. Carolyn is a highly accomplished and extremely knowledgeable NP, possessing many positive attributes, including a strong work ethic and approachable demeanor. Carolyn’s passion and mission to raise the profile of diabetes care and education to prevent the burden of diabetes complications continues on with her commitment to empower patients, families and staff. Colleagues and patients all agree that there is nobody more deserving of this recognition than Carolyn Lawton! Nominated by Fiona Stone and Julie H Paterson ■ www.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Laura Bainbridge Continued from page 28
Laura always puts the needs of her patients first. She is a fierce advocate for her patients and can often be found walking with them to their next appointment, or working to have them seen by another service “since they’re already here”. If she knows a number of tests are needed, then she will do everything in her power to coordinate them all for the same day so as not to inconvenience families more often than needed, but also to get the patients and their families the results as soon as possible as she does not want them to have to worry for any longer than absolutely necessary. There have been times when Laura has stumbled upon someone sick in the elevator requiring help. I remember one day she told me that she came across a pregnant woman and her daughter, and the woman was clearly in distress. Even though Laura had work to do, she didn’t think twice about it, she immediately helped the woman to get to labour and delivery, and she stayed
with the daughter while the mom was taken in, reassuring the daughter that she was not alone and that she would stay with her until other family members arrived. I have no doubt that that little girl will remember Nurse Laura’s kindness, and how she made that very scary situation a little brighter. There was a particular family that to this day states that they would not have been able to get through what they did with their daughter without Laura. The only reason that they were able to get their daughter to come to the hospital at all was the promise of seeing Laura when she got here. When Laura moved to another team, I tried my best, but I was no substitute for Laura in this patient’s eyes. I can only hope to be the reason my patients like to come to the hospital! I know that if asked, there would be countless families that would write letters in support of Laura the Super Nurse. She is one of the kindest, most selfless people that you will ever meet. She will
Nurses: A Voice to Lead Health for All Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is proud to be Celebrating a Century of Care to mark our 100th anniversary of providing specialized mental health services to the communities we serve.
shadows. Along with caring for their patients, nurses have assisted in removing the stigma associated with mental illness by becoming advocates for a segment of the population which has been marginalized for decades.
Throughout our history of providing exemplary care, nurses have played an integral role in the lives of people living with mental illness and have been central in our history and evolution as an organization.
While we look back at our history as well forward to the future of mental health care, it’s important to pause and recognize the wonderful efforts of today.
As we prepare to officially turn 100 on October 23, 2019, we celebrate the contributions of nurses and value their leadership in helping mental health come out of the
literally do almost anything she can to help someone. In our neighbourhood she is a go-to for medical advice and has been known to accompany friends with sick children to the hospital if needed. Laura is an amazing nurse, mother, friend, and colleague. I really can’t
think of anyone more deserving of this award. She truly is a hero to so many. Nominated by Beth Hawke, Registered Nurse, Pediatric Neurology – 2G Clinics McMaster Children’s Hospital Hamilton H Health Sciences. ■
Christine Murphy Continued from page 29 She has made a major contribution to wound care education through being an adjunct professor in the masters of clinical science in wound healing master’s degree program at Western University and has been committed to healthcare provider teaching with both bedside nurses, residents and physicians, and collaborates with inter-professional team members on a daily basis. With complex vascular wounds, there are many things that need to be considered such as blood flow to the limb, proper assessment and diagnostics and pain control. With a highly committed
team, these complexities are handled more effectively. Christine’s calm manner and thorough approach to problem solving augment her ability to lead teams and, educate, advocate and do research to improve the outcomes for patients suffering from vascular wounds. She exemplifies “Nursing Leadership” through innovation of hospital to community vascular wound care delivery. Vascular Health is now a priority area of research at the Ottawa Hospital. Nominated by: Catherine Harley Executive Director, NSWOCC Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & ConH tinence Canada ■
Thank you to our nurses at Ontario Shores for supporting and empowering our patients through their recovery journey. Nurses: A Voice to Lead Health for All
As an organization we are both proud and excited to celebrate Nursing Week with our Nurse Practitioners, RPNs, and RNs!
#VoicetoLead!
ontarioshores.ca/100 www.hospitalnews.com
MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 43
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Teressa Allwood Interior Health
W
e wish to nominate our Patient Care Coordinator (PCC), Teressa Allwood for the 2019 Nursing Hero
Award. Teressa has been an exemplary leader from day one. She is one of the most talented, ethical and valued members of our nursing team. Her leadership qualities and excellence for patient care are insurmountable. To say she goes “above and beyond”, is an understatement to describe her commitment and dedication to patients, colleagues, and the greater organization. Teressa is an expert emergency registered nurse (RN); a skilled operating room (OR) nurse; a knowledgeable maternity nurse; a certified chemotherapy nurse; and she is one of Cariboo’s few certified peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) nurse
TERESSA HAS BEEN AN EXEMPLARY LEADER FROM DAY ONE. SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED, ETHICAL AND VALUED MEMBERS OF OUR NURSING TEAM. clinicians. Her diverse skill set and knowledge base are the foundation to her excellence in clinical practice in the rural setting of 100 Mile House Hospital (OMH); and support her innate ability to mentor and develop others. Teressa has graciously stepped forward several times to act as interim Manager at 100 Mile District General Hospital (OMH). During her tenure she was instrumental for many patient care improvements – including (but not limited to) Mobility Project, ex-
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panded scope of nursing practice, and the LPN Over Hire project. Through her diligence and hard work she supported staff professionally, functioning as a knowledge broker; which has transformed OMH into an acute care hospital. In 2017, while Teressa was temporarily filling the site manager’s position, a fast moving, aggressive wildfire broke out on the outskirts of our community. Within hours, our health care facility was evacuated, and shortly thereafter, the entire community of 100 Mile House was also evacuated. In the following hours, days and weeks, Teressa worked literally non-stop to ensure residents and staff were safe and well-cared for. She rarely took a break of more than a few hours; communicated with staff regularly to keep us updated on the grim situation threatening our town; and she was available by phone around the clock. Teressa’s leadership during this time was strong and reliable and we all felt we could turn to her for answers and support during this incredibly difficult situation. To this day, Teressa continues to receive calls and texts from staff on her “off hours” and she graciously provides support and direction. Under Teressa’s leadership, the length of patient stays in the acute care ward fell by 21 per cent, occupancy rates dropped from 127 per cent to an average of 107 per cent of the bed census and emergency inpatient days were reduced from 4.8 to 2 per cent. The number of 100 Mile House patients sent to tertiary care sites plummeted by an astounding 64 per
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cent, the percentage of patients waiting for alternative levels of care decreased by 69 per cent and residential and assisted living admissions fell by 58 per cent. These results are nothing short of jaw-dropping, and at a time when health care dollars are in short supply; rightfully garnered the attention from the most senior levels of Interior Health’s management team. As a result, in November 2018, Teressa and her team of hard-working nurses were recognized with a Quality Award from Interior Health. Teressa embraces and supports others through change and challenges. Her values are aligned with Interior Health’s values of quality, integrity, respect and trust – all of which she demonstrates each and every day. Her humility is impeccable; her selfless attitude goes above and beyond; her quest for improved working conditions and positive patient experiences are goals she strives for. She advocates for improved staffing levels, increased security measures, succession planning; and can be counted upon to promote the latest “best practice” innovations to those who work with her. We cannot think of anyone more deserving of the title of “Nursing Hero” than our leader, co-worker and H friend, Teressa Allwood. ■
mention
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NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Meghan McBride Continued from page 34 She has personally invested her own time by fundraising to raise money for door wraps to assist in camouflaging exits for our exit-seeking dementia patients. She has also used her own time to create ‘fidget aprons’ by sewing zippers, buttons, laces, and fabrics onto aprons for patients who are bored and often ‘fidget’ with their own clothing. Through this, she has demonstrated compassionate care and her ability to be creative in strategies that better patient care. Meghan has also demonstrated her attention to patient safety with the introduction of the discharge pause. Working together on a team, the creation and implementation of this discharge pause has successfully shown to decrease errors on discharge, including medication prescription errors. The success of this discharge intervention was published in the Canadian journal Nursing 2017! She continues to have a vested interest in safe patient discharge and currently is a member of the medicine discharge process interdisciplinary committee.
Meghan’s academic endeavors have also led her to co-author in a second publication in the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice. This time, this was an opportunity to advance the learning and understanding
of residents among interdisciplinary team members and in turn improve patient care in Medicine. Meghan interacts positively with staff on a daily basis through unit safety huddles and CQI board. She summarizes recent changes and educates staff accordingly. She always ends our huddle with “It’s going to be a great day!” Meghan’s positivity
is infectious and we are so lucky to have her on our team! She continuously seeks opportunities for Quality Improvement Projects in all areas of care. Meghan’s passion and leadership for advancing patient care is evident in everything she touches! She truly is our nursing hero. Sincerely, The H Acute Medicine Team ■
Ali-Akber Shermohammed Continued from page 33 The client had a medical issue and thus had to be sent to a hospital in the GTA. This transfer necessitated police, paramedics, two nurses and four point restraints to hold the client to the stretcher to ensure both staff safety as well as the clients. I was one of the nurses accompanying the client as well as a different nurse. The client was agitated, irritable and wanted to seek treatment immediately. The staff did the best that they could to avoid any unsafe situations. I was at the general hospital for about four hours by
the time the other nurse was relieved as his shift was over and Ali showed up. The affect of the client instantaneously became bright upon seeing him. Although the wait for care was still about another three hours, Ali made those three hours enjoyable. He got Tim Horton’s for the client as he did not eat and did not like the hospital food that was available and he obtained a deck of cards and began playing with him. But it wasn’t these tangible things that he did for the client that stood out, it was the psychological things, like speaking to
the client regarding his delusions, his illness, allowing the client to use Ali’s personal phone to make long distance calls to the client’s brother in order to set him at ease. The client was medically stable and was taken back to the unit by Ali and I, free of police, and free of mechanical restraints. I saw a different side of the client that day, I saw a person that has issues like the rest of us, that was scared and vulnerable but was able to be put at ease by someone who truly cared. Nominated by Jessica Cristiano RN, H CAMH ■
PR OT ECT IN G T H OS E WH O P U T TH E C AR E I N H E A LT HCA RE : I N R ECOG N IT ION O F NU R S E S ’ WE E K Cavalluzzo would like to recognize the skill, compassion, and professionalism of nurses everywhere.
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Since 1983, our firm has grown to more than thirty lawyers who share a commitment to excellence and justice in workplaces. We represent trade unions, organizations and individuals in both the public and private sector.
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MAY 2019 HOSPITAL NEWS 45
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Andres Gomez
Trillium Health Partners uthor Mandy Hale once wrote “To make a difference in someone’s life you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care”. Andres Gomez exemplifies this quote as a nurse, mentor, and an individual. It is his supportive nature and exceptional teaching ability that has made working even in the Emergency Department a welcoming space for nurses like myself. My nursing journey began in high school when I started volunteering at a long-term care home. It dawned on me that nurses can really make a difference in the lives of people by being a comfort to them during a difficult time. This made me realize that above all, I wanted to be a good nurse. When
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I first transferred to the Emergency Department, I was very anxious. Andres was assigned as my preceptor. My nursing background is in general medicine and the Emergency Department brings with it a sense of pride as well as intimidation. I worried about the new environment, apprehensive of my own skills, and conscious of those I lacked. The first sign of Andres being an exceptional individual came before I even joined the unit. He went above and beyond in welcoming me to the ER. He reached out to me via an email in which he voiced his enthusiasm in aiding me to develop the skills I would need to become a successful ER nurse. Unbeknownst to him, this gesture alleviated much of the stress and anxiety that I previously had. For the first time
since accepting my job offer, my anxiety did not outweigh my excitement to begin this new role. I knew that I would be okay. The last few months of working with Andres has really cemented my first impression of him. I have watched myself learn and flourish under his guidance. Andres has an absolute wealth of knowledge from his many years working in the ER, his active participation in projects, and from taking on leadership roles around the unit. I can persistently go to him with questions knowing he will always be willing to answer and will often use his own time to do research regarding my queries to really help me understand concepts. Furthermore, he is always ready to share his personal notes gained
from his professional experience to ensure that I feel comfortable with the new and existing cases that I will encounter during my years of practice. Apart from being a wonderful leader, he is just as wonderful a team player. At times he will even skip his breaks just to help his colleagues with their tasks to ensure that they are not falling behind, although he will always ensure that I had mine. Even with the pace of the day, he is never lacking in patience. No matter how horrible his day is, he is always generous with his smiles and his prevailing optimism. When it gets too busy or chaotic in the ER, or when things are just not going the way that they should, his positive attitude helps get everyone through the day. I am most grateful for his habit of endwww.hospitalnews.com
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019 ing our days with a “good job” no matter how tumultuous our shift was, how many questions I had, or how many tasks I needed his help with, he would always find something to ensure I never felt discouraged at the end of day. I go home every shift ready to take on the next one knowing I have the help of such a wonderful preceptor to guide me, this support and encouragement mean the world to me. His confidence in my abilities, even when I personally did not have any, allowed me to feel comfortable in the ER and I learned to trust in my own capabilities; beginning to see that I knew more than I gave myself credit for. Andres was also always looking for learning opportunities for me. He would consistently allow me to take part in emergency situations. He understood that I was not yet comfortable with participating in critical cases, so he was always there to explain to me everything that was occurring in a situation. In order for me to gain experience and confidence with handling precarious patient conditions, he would assign small tasks to me to allow me to gradually become more
accustomed to the responsibilities and duties as a member of the team and not just a bystander. No matter the severity of the situation, Andres would always be calm and collected and his demeanour continues to be a grounding force which allows myself and the staff in the room to think clearly, accurately and act quickly. I clearly remember a shift when I was having trouble with administering an emergency medication and began to panic, Andres proceeded to walk me through how to administer it correctly. He never got frustrated with my shortcomings and never took over the job but rather spent the time to teach me how to perform the task allowing me to become more competent and gain confidence in my abilities even amidst the stress of the situation. Andres’ positivity and caring nature does not only impact the staff, but also resonates deeply with his patients. Furthermore, he goes above and beyond to ensure that all of our patients are
comfortable. He would advocate for pain medication and the acceleration of diagnostic tests if he thought that it was required. In one instance, he even went to multiple units seeking baby powder to fulfill a patient’s request to allow her to be more comfortable. Whether they were grand errands or little tasks, Andres always took time to address patients’ concerns and strived to make them feel as comfortable as possible. I truly believe that some people are destined to become nurses and positively influence others’ lives, and Andres is one of those people. He shines in so many ways and deserves every bit of recognition and more. Andres does not go above and beyond for praise or for the sake of acclamation, he does it out of the kindness of his heart and his desire to advocate for those who don’t have the ability to do it. His boundless amount of patience, extensive body of knowledge, con-
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tinual support of fellow colleagues, and frequent advocation for patients, has made him one of the most extraordinary people that I have had the chance to work with. It has been my privilege and honor to have him as a preceptor and I will be forever grateful for his time, support, and encouragement throughout the challenging beginning of my ER career. His unyielding belief in me has gotten me through some of the most trying times when I thought that I was not good enough to become an emergency nurse. I have realized that no words can ever describe my appreciation towards Andres, but like American researcher Steve Maraboli once said, “[he] changed my life without even trying, and I don’t think I could ever tell [him] how much [he] means to me. I can’t imagine what things would be like if I hadn’t met [him]”. Over the short months that I have known Andres, he has become so much more than just my mentor. He is my friend, my colleague, my counsellor, my teacher, but most of all, my hero. H Nominated by Christine Lai ■
BETTER OUTCOMES, BETTER VALUE – IT’S ACHIEVABLE WITH THE HELP OF OUR NURSING HEROES. Because we all do better when the patient and the healthcare system do better.
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NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2019
Juliet Hutchinson Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre ear award selection committee, It is my pleasure to write this letter nominating Juliet Hutchinson for the 2019 Nursing Hero Award. I am writing on behalf of myself and many of the staff here on D3 E&G and P&L Odette Family Cardiac Inpatient Unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. I have had the pleasure of working with Juliet since the beginning of January 2019 when I joined the D3 team as a new cardiac surgery nurse practitioner. Although I have spent a very short time in her company, I could tell from the very start that her hard work deserved recognition. Juliet takes pride in her role and executes it seamlessly. More often than not she carries out additional nursing tasks and stays over time to support the unit, all with a smile on her face. It seems as though for Juliet that her day is done not when the clock indicates “quitting time”, rather, her day is complete when she feels personally fulfilled and satisfied with the work she has put in. I believe it is important to highlight the impact that she has had on the team. As such, I have included short excerpts of what some of her colleagues have to say about her. “I have known Juliet for over 10 years as the D3 charge nurse. I remember interviewing Juliet for a 1 year temporary charge nurse position – back then I felt that Juliet had something special and would make a difference. It has now been over 10 years and she has definitely made a huge impact as well as a great footprint. Juliet is definitely D3’s Nursing Hero! Juliet continues to give so much of herself and can often be seen working after her hours alongside her colleagues to en-
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sure that the remainder of their day shift is manageable. She arrives daily at 07:00 for a 07:30 start and consistently leaves around 18:00 rather than her scheduled time of 15:00. She consistently comes to work with sense of duty and compassion. She is the epitome of a true leader. A charge nurse’s role is an important part of the patient care experience. Her strong work ethic, persistence and intellectual integrity make her an excellent charge nurse. Juliet demonstrates exceptional knowledge and skills within our unit – she is the go-to-person. Juliet is an excellent communicator. She is enthusiastic, energetic, competent and well-organized. I particularly appreciate her expertise in providing exceptional person-centered care. I have truly enjoyed working with Juliet. She is a true champion for person-centered care when it matters most.” Garshia Ferdinand- Flament, PCM “It is hard to put into words what Juliet means to the unit. Juliet’s role is as a charge nurse on D3 who oversees the unit operations. But she is much more than just her role. She is the go-to person for clarifications, problem-solving, support, and a good laugh. She goes above and beyond the expectations/ role of charge nurse. She often stays beyond her regular hours to support the staff, resolve issues, and help out when staff are overwhelmed. She will never leave a problem unsolved and will go out of her way to make sure everything is smooth for patients, patient family and staff. She works tireless-
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ly and you will see her always running around helping everyone any way she can. She is truly our nursing hero.” Todd Wang, RN & Luwam Thomas, RN I am in a temporary role on D3, having joined the team in Sept 2018. The first person I met on the unit was Juliet. She welcomed me warmly and considered me a member of the team from the onset. She has exceptional skills that allow her to manage a high paced environment with competing demands. She is knowledgeable, organized and keeps the flow of the unit running smoothly. Juliet gives so much of herself to provide comfort to patients. Her caring nature has touched so many lives. She has witnessed so much pain, anger and heartache from the patients and families she works
with, and continues to make space to support staff. Juliet deserves to be honored not only today but always. Rinat Mayer, MSW The knowledge, approachability and confidence that Juliet exhibits in her practice makes her an exemplary mentor not just for the nursing staff on D3, but also for myself as a practitioner. It is evident that Juliet takes pride in being a nursing leader. I am convinced that Juliet’s work ethic and leadership qualities are exemplar and deserves to be recognized as such. I strongly believe that Juliet Hutchinson should be awarded the 2019 Nursing Hero award. I would like to thank you for considering Juliet as a recipient for this award. Stephanie Fernandes, MN-NP (PHCGH), BScN, HBSc, Nurse Practitioner, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Schulich H Heart Centre. ■ www.hospitalnews.com
Humber River Hospital celebrates National Nursing Week May 6-12
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Patient Care Reinvented.