Celebrating our Nurses
- Mid-May 2008
- Français
Emergency traumas are part of a day's work for RNs, but for Brock University nursing students, this was an up-close look at life in the Emergency Department. Three mock emergency traumas were organized by RNs, who also acted as patients, complete with fake blood and simulated symptoms from a four-storey fall on a construction site, a pedestrian/vehicle accident, and a attack resulting in multiple stab wounds.
As we celebrate Nursing Week May 12-18, it is a perfect time to highlight a few of the great initiatives underway – namely recruitment successes, recognition events and our new Nursing Report. Take a few moments to learn more about Nursing in the Niagara Health System.
When it comes to recruiting nurses, being creative these days is a necessity. A national shortage is looming and Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) are being courted in a variety of ways to work in hospitals.
Once of the key places to recruit caregivers is with new nursing graduates, who are keen to gain full-time employment and put their four years of learning into practice. At the NHS, an aggressive range of tactics are employed that are starting to bear fruit and thanks to the Ontario government's New Grad Guarantee program, the NHS has received almost $1.1 million in funding to hire 40 RNs and RPNs in the last year. These new graduates are guaranteed full-time employment for the seven-month period the funding covers. Many are then able to transition into regular employment by filling vacancies at our seven hospital sites.
Trauma Training Day
Additional funding helps in our ability to hire more staff and our Human Resources and Nursing departments are working closely together to develop other recruitment strategies. One new initiative that is unique in Ontario is called a Trauma Training Day, geared at giving nursing students an up close and personal opportunity to experience worklife in an Emergency Department (ED).
So far, the NHS has given Brock University and McMaster University nursing students this brand new experience – an opportunity to put their learning to work during a simulated trauma under the watchful eye of RN's who face life-threatening situations in the ED every day.
The Trauma Training Day is the brainchild of ED Clinical Manager Elaine Burr, who organized two full days for students in November 2007 and March 2008 at St. Catharines General Site. Elaine put together teams of RN's who then developed and delivered a morning's worth of training on the vast range of assessment and treatment skills required when dealing with critical patients in an ED.
For the afternoon, three trauma simulations were set up, complete with RN's acting as patients and as facilitators/assessors. The students, divided into teams, had about half an hour to assess and begin treatment on the mock patient before moving on to the next scenario.
The mock emergencies were as realistic as possible, complete with capsules which had one 'patient' vomiting blood 20 minutes into the assessment, and another sacrificing her jeans (three pairs) so the students could experience cutting clothing off a patient. The scenarios were a patient with stab wounds, a construction worker who fell four storeys off a ladder, and an elderly pedestrian hit by a truck. Numerous props were provided so students could experience handling IV bags, catheters and other tools of the trade, along with patients in a trauma situation.
What makes the program unique is that students typically don't learn how to assess and treat trauma patients with live people. A student who has a clinical placement in an Emergency Department would only be able to observe in an emergency trauma situation.
"The Trauma Training Day is an absolute win-win opportunity," Elaine says. "We want to recruit Brock and MacMaster students to our hospitals and to our Emergency Departments, and the nursing schools want to ensure their students are getting every opportunity to learn their profession."
National Nursing Week
Nursing Week, from May 12 – 18, is a national celebration of the dedication of Nurses. The NHS holds a variety of recognition events for our 1,800 RNs and RPNs during the week, including a Nursing Breakfast, Nursing Dinner and Trivia Night, Celebration Teas at each of our seven hospital sites, and Nursing Excellence Awards. This year, we are pleased to announce the 11 RNs and RPNs who have been recognized by their peers with Nursing Awards.
Nursing Awards for Excellence in Direct Care
- Bev Smith, RPN, Douglas Memorial Hospital Site Inpatient Medical/Surgical Unit
- Margaret Hamilton, RPN, Greater Niagara General Site Emergency Department
- Paula Wilson, RPN, Niagara-on-the-Lake Hospital Site Inpatient Medical / Complex Continuing Care Unit
- Nancy Garriock, RPN, Ontario Street Site Peri-Operative Day Surgery
- Sally Larochelle, RN, Port Colborne General Site Emergency Department
- Jodi Tomczuk, RN, St. Catharines General Site Emergency Department
- Jetta Witlib, RN, Welland Hospital Site Mental Health Unit
- Derek Christensen, RN, Regional Mental Health Clinical Educator
Nursing Leadership Award (NHS-wide)
- Cindee Barrow, RN, Clinical Manager, Welland Hospital Site Mental Health Unit
Nursing Awards for Professional Development (NHS-wide)
- Wendy Vanstralen, RPN, Niagara-on-the-Lake Site Inpatient Unit
- Nicole Lavoie, RN, Ontario Street Site Niagara Diabetes Centre
"Our nurses contribute an amazing level of care to patients and their families," says Donna Rothwell, Interim Chief Nursing Executive and Vice President Patient Services. "The winners are just a few examples of the essence of professional nursing care our nurses continuously demonstrate. They showcase the attributes of professional nursing for patient/client centred care and on behalf of our patients and families, I thank them for the enormous contributions they make each and every day."
Congratulations to the winners. For more details on each of the winners, click HERE.
2008 Nursing Report
Just in time for Nursing Week is our inaugural Nursing Report, containing stories and updates on the vital work that our nurses do for patients and their families. Hospitals are among the most complex organizations of all public and private sectors, and working in an integrated fashion is the key to offering safe and quality patient care. Learn about the difference our nurses are making every day, in improving clinical practice and bringing health-care professionals closer together to deliver care and comfort.