A Compassionate Care Giver: She didn’t see it coming!

She was asked if she could lead a class on the new use of Epidural Pumps for pain control, and when she arrived in the cafeteria to take part in the ice cream bar and have a visit before the class, she didn’t seem to suspect that anything special at all was about to happen. When the name of the Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction recipient was announced, Pam Joyce RN seemed completely surprised by the accolades shared about her spirit of caring for her patients and her peers.

The award is a Royal Copenhagen figurine, gifted to CKHA in 2008 by an anonymous donor in appreciation of care provided to their loved one. The award comes with a financial gift to be used towards education at CKHA to further staff expertise in caring for patients at the end of life. Congratulations, Pam. This award is well deserved.

Link to full News Release on CKHA website: http://bit.ly/awCXPe

Last week was a week of celebrations that I’d like to take a few minutes to reflect on. A group of Professional Practice Team representatives joined me for the kick off of Nursing Week 2010. We met in the Education Centre at the Chatham Campus and in the Cafeteria at the Sydenham Campus, and spent the mornings reviewing some of the poster presentations that had been prepared by our CKHA inter-professional team members. We also participated in a presentation made by Margaret Campbell, our Librarian, on some of the wonderful education and research possibilities that are being made available through our membership with the Western Ontario Health Knowledge Network (WOHKN). And finally, we had a "tour" of the new CNE/PPT web site that includes this weekly blog. Both the Sydenham and the Chatham campuses enjoyed ice cream served by CKHA’s Executive Leadership Council in honour of Nurses Week. See some of the photos attached to witness the positive environment that surrounds us at CKHA!

Nursing: You Can’t Live Without It!

As we kick off the 2010 National Nursing Week celebrations, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the theme for this occasion:

Nursing: You Can’t Live Without It!

CKHA nurses are not only “caring people, caring for people”, they are skilled and intelligent providers who prevent suffering and save lives. Here at CKHA we value our nurses for their strength and knowledge; they are kind and they are smart. Our nurses participate in research, make provisional diagnoses, prescribe evidence-based best practice treatments, and identify the need for medications to relieve symptoms and cure diseases.

Nurses possess scientific knowledge, skills and compassion that helps to keep individuals, families and communities healthy. The commitment to health promotion, disease prevention, and client-centred care make a difference in people’s lives. Thank you to our nurses for your commitment and for strengthening health care here at CKHA, in our community and in the province.