Fun in the sun and a whole lot of appreciation! We have the best staff, physicians and volunteers at our four hospitals. If that wasn’t enough to celebrate, add on that we were accredited with ‘Exemplary Standing’ — the highest possible designation through Accreditation Canada! We had reason to PARTY at our recent appreciation lunches. Thanks to everyone for a fabulous year and a special shout out to those involved in planning, preparing and serving at the BBQs.
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Improving assessment and treatment of pain to enhance the patient experience People go to the Emergency Department (ED) for many reasons – an obvious one is because they’re in pain. So it makes sense that our EDs would screen patients for pain at triage, but that was only happening about 50 per cent of the time. Quinte Health Care’s “Assessment and Management of Pain” Best Practice Spotlight Organization Guideline aims to improve the assessment and treatment of pain across our four hospitals. Screening and treating pain as early as possible during a patient’s ED visit is the initial focus of the BPSO Guideline and, already, after just a couple of months championing this work, patients are now being screened for pain at triage more than 80 per cent of the time. “Our BPSO Guideline champions are doing great work to remind triage nurses to screen patients,” said Diane Smith, Pain BPG Lead Champion and Professional Practice Specialist. “We’ve also enlisted the help of our Patient Experience Partner and created a standard tool to assess pain, which shows Lego faces to help people more accurately rate the severity of their pain on the numerical pain scale.” “You see a difference in the patient experience when you tend to their pain and make their visit more manageable,” said Brittney Rowden, an RN at North Hastings Hospital and BPSO Pain Guideline Champion. “It can be a very positive thing.” There are other projects planned over the next two years, including implementing nursing order sets to allow nurses to help alleviate pain, creating a pain assessment tool for dementia patients and mental health patients, work surrounding the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), and creating drug information cards for when patients are sent home with pain medication – even if it’s just one dose to help them get through the night before returning to hospital the next day. “This is a three-year BPSO Guideline Development, which will give us time to adapt new practices and implement strategies and interventions about pain assessment and management,” said Diane. “So far we’ve made some great progress.”
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#4MyTeam
#WeAllHelpProvideCare New addi on to the team — “We are thrilled to now have volunteers in the ICU! For six hours a day, Monday to Friday, we have some incredible volunteers providing support and ac ng as a liaison for visitors, families and pa ents inside the ICU. They are the first point of contact and are helpful in no fying visitors of ICU protocol, as well as offering a listening ear. We love having them as part of the ICU team.” – Shelley Kay, ICU Manager
#RespectEveryone #RespectE Everyone Kindness cures — “When I went to the North Has ngs Hospital Emergency Department, Dr. Keilaa was amazing. He was so nice to me. Thanks for all you do for Ban ncro . Keep up the great work for our wonderful community.” – a grateful pa ent
(Pictured from le : Shelley Kay, ICU Manager; Cathy Willock, volunteer; Jessie Price, ICU Pa ent Care Lead.)
Amazement and admira on — “My husband was taken by ambulance to the ER at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital recently. The care and a en on that he received from the staff was outstanding. But what impressed me even more was the way in which the staff dealt with all the pa ents. They are amazing. Please thank them for us and extend our admira on for the work they do and the way in which they do it.” — Cecily Lawson (Pictured from le : Anita Young, RPN; Jennifer Stever, RN; Cheryl Minaker, RN; Lisa Mowbray, Manager of Pa ent Services/Site Lead)
Happy helpers — “We had an awesome me playying games, ea ng and having fun at the staff apprecia on/accredita on BBQs this month. I was so impressed with a couple of ladies at BGH who went above and beyond to help out. Mary‐Kim Marrin, an RPN on the BSTU (pictured le ), decided to stay hours a er her night shi en nded to serve staff cake at the BBQ. No one asked her to – she just took it upon herself to help out. And Susan Schultens (pictured right), who has been volunteering at BGH since 2010, did an awesome job helping out with the games. Thank you both for living our values!” – Jeff Hohenkerk, Vice President and Chief Transfo orma on Officer
#TakeOw wnership
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Who inspires you? Anyone can share in celebra ng our teams – staff, pa ents, physicians and volunteers. Contact C Carly Baxter at ext. 2677, cbaxter@qhc.on.ca.
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QHC Board of Directors recognizes Medical Radiation Technologist for taking ownership and always striving to improve Each board meeting, the QHC Board of Directors shares a story that reminds us of the exceptional care extended by staff, volunteers and physicians each and every day at QHC hospitals. This month, they recognized a very deserving individual who spends her days as an esteemed member of the Trenton Memorial Hospital team. Angie Clements is a Medical Radiation Technologist who is adored by her colleagues. In case you aren’t aware, a Medical Radiation Technologist is the overarching title for those who perform X-rays, CT scans or MRIs to produce diagnostic images of a patient’s body. Angie has worked at Quinte Health Care for more than 20 years and is known to be compassionate, helpful and proficient. Diagnostic Imaging Manager, Cathy Sharland, describes Angie as engaged and always willing to accept new challenges, such as evaluating new equipment. She is a natural leader who is generous with her time – both in educating her colleagues and as the clinical instructor for students.
Angie Clements, MRT, is presented a recognition plaque by Board Chair Stuart Wright at the June 25th Board of Directors meeting.
Angie’s coworker, Sue Veley, describes her as an angel. She says she’s patient and always so willing to help anyone and everyone – you could call her at 10 p.m. on her day off and she’d help you through something. Veteran X-ray Tech, Hilda Herbert, says that even after so many years on the job, she still learns something from Angie every time. She really knows her stuff and is the go-to person in the department. Thank you, Angie, for truly exemplifying QHC’s values – including “Take Ownership” and “Always Strive to Improve”!
Angie Clements is surrounded by her supporters. From left: Dr. Conor Healy; Kim Mullen, MRT; Susan Veley, MRT; Angie Clements, MRT; Angie’s husband Joe Clements; Hilda Herbert, MRT; Cathy Sharland, Manager, Diagnostic Imaging. QHC Vital Signs Newsletter, June 2019: Published by QHC Communications Department Editor: Carly Baxter (613) 969-7400 ext. 2677, cbaxter@qhc.on.ca.
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