May 2015 - Brockville General Hospital

May 2015
On May 1, we wear purple to support survivors of Sexual Assault.
For more info, visit www.arc-c.ca
Contents
3
Nursing Week
4
Connect with BGH
5
Health Care Tomorrow Update
6
Learning & Development
7
"Springtime in Paris" Gala
8
Hospice Palliative Care
10
Mindfulness Practice
11
Event Calendar
12
BGVA AGM
13
Nutrition & Shift Work
14
Grilled Vegetable Salad
15
Mental Health Awareness Week
16
People Services Updates
18
Meet our Lab Team
20
What Grounds us Together
Spotted!
Our Garden Street tea cart was
“bunny-powered” by volunteers
for Easter!
Feature your team or story!
Contact Abby at 613-345-5649 ext
1504 or mciab@bgh-on.ca
Continue the conversation...
General Happenings available online at
www.bgh-on.ca/?PGID=107
ALL WEEK! Get your tickets for baskets and 50/50 draws!
Monday , May 11:
CAKE! 2pm, CSS Cafeteria & delivered to GSS
Wednesday, May 13: Nurses Week Dinner at CJs. Tickets are $30.
Pizza party for the Wednesday night shift
Thursday, May 14:
A continental breakfast for nursing staff
Friday, May 15:
Basket and 50/50 ticket draw
For details, contact Nursing Practice Council
Co-Chairs Melissa Berquist at berme@bgh-on.ca
or Lorraine White at whilo@bgh-on.ca
Did you know? BGH employs 271
RNs, 125 RPNs, and 52 PSWs.
May 11-17 is National Nursing Week, alongside International Nurses Day and Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May
12. This year’s Canadian Nurses Association theme, Nurses: With you every step of the way, emphasizes how
important nurses are in our lives — at every age, in all health situations, for all Canadians. With more than 408,000
regulated nurses in Canada, the largest of any health provider group, nurses are the backbone of our health system.
This week, we recognize the profession for their dedication and commitment to making Canada a healthier nation.
BGH Ideas: Your Ideas Matter
Our people are our biggest asset and we value your input.
You have the power to provide insight on how we can deliver outstanding quality care within available resources.
Please email your ideas to: BGHideas@bgh-on.ca.
Staff, Physician and Volunteer Open Houses
Tuesday, May 26| 10am-12pm| CSS Auditorium
Tuesday, May 26 | 2-4pm | CSS Auditorium
Thursday, May 28 | 5-7pm | CSS Auditorium
An opportunity to meet with Tony and the senior leadership team to
ask questions and share feedback about changes here at BGH.
Community Open House
Tuesday, June 2 | 5-8pm | 1000 Islands Mall
Learn about what's happening at BGH. Ask questions and share your
feedback.
Save the date!
Annual General Meeting
June 15, 7pm in the CSS Cafeteria
South East LHIN and partners seeking region-wide public input on health care services
Online and in-person community engagement sessions to be held
May 1, 2015—The South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and its health care partners today
launched a public engagement process to encourage residents from across the region to help guide the future of health care in their communities.
The perspectives and input gathered throughout the process will inform the South East LHIN’s fourth Integrated Health Services Plan – Health Care Tomorrow, and provides an opportunity for community input on
specific hospital services and regional services more broadly.
Community engagement for the IHSP and on hospital services in your region will offer multiple opportunities
for the public, health service providers, and other partners to get involved. Open house events will offer a
chance for the public to gather information about health care in the region and provide input to the South
East LHIN. An online survey will also be available at www.healthcaretomorrow.ca, beginning May 1st through
till May 29th. Paper copies of the survey can be made available on request. Please contact Caitlin den Boer,
Communications Lead at the South East LHIN at 613.967.0196 ext. 2240, should you require a copy.
A Brockville Open House has been scheduled for May 19 at the Quality Royal Brock Hotel from 2-6pm.
The South East LHIN relies on information gathered through community engagement, to make decisions
about health system transformation, health service delivery, and funding allocations. IHSP4 – Health Care Tomorrow will define the activities of the South East LHIN and local health providers for the three-year period
from April 2016 to March 2019 with the goal to ensure that individuals have better access to the most appropriate health services focused on their needs. IHSP4 – Health Care Tomorrow will build on previous opportunities that were identified in IHSP3 - Better Integration, Better Health Care.
This process will also help to inform the long-term decision making for the future of hospital services in Leeds
Grenville. Brockville General Hospital will use the input from the community engagement in order to make
the decisions based on what patients, families and community members have identified as their health care
priorities.
“The South East LHIN is committed to ensuring that the patient voice is a driving force behind the
work that we do. Listening to our residents and understanding their health care needs is an important step
in our journey to improve the patient experience through quality, integration and value.” Paul Huras, CEO
South East LHIN
“Brockville General Hospital is a progressive community partner. We are pleased to be working with
our committees, staff, physicians and regional partners on designing a sustainable health care system. Collaborating ensures that this also meets the health care needs of our community. We need and encourage
residents in Leeds Grenville to share their input on how we can build a better system together. With your
help, this supports our Hospital’s goal of being a champion of health system evolution. ” Neil T. Bhatt,
Board Chair, Brockville General Hospital
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
TB TESTING NEEDS TO BE DONE ANNUALLY.
N95 MASKS FITTINGS NEED TO BE CHECKED EVERY TWO YEARS.
ARE YOU UP TO DATE?
CONTACT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 613-345-5649 ext 1174
Don’t Forget!
PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT!
Remember to log out of Quadramed
every time you step away from the workstation.
OTN Equipment which
was previously located in
the CSS 1st Floor Library
has been relocated to
Room 506.
Updates from Learning and
Development
vided in the policy on the care of Valved and Openended PICC lines, Implanted Ports, Tunneled and Percutaneous CVADs.
The team in Organizational Development has been going back to the basics. As a part of our commitment to
providing education that is current, interesting and relevant to nursing practice, we are working on updating
policies and building corresponding on-line learning
modules that nurses can access on Sharepoint. These
can be found by clicking on Departments > People Services & Talent Management > Learning & Development > Clinical Education.
We will be offering 1 hour educational sessions on May
12th, 14th, 26th and 28th at 1300 for staff to review and
practice with CVADs.
Some examples of the available Learning Modules are:
Central Lines, Chest Tubes, Venipuncture, Diabetes
Mellitus, Procedural Sedation and Falls Prevention. On
completion of these modules and the corresponding
quiz, the nurse will receive a Certificate of Completion.
We have also located links to other learning material
here such as Trillium Gift of Life Learning Module and
Bloody Easy Transfusion Learning Module.
In May, we will be rolling out a new policy on Central
Vascular Access Devices. This policy combines several
policies into an easier to follow guideline which is based
on RNAO’s best practice guideline. Information is pro-
Jenn MacNeil, Joan Smith and Shelley Weapenicappo
Visit our Professional Development Calendar
on SharePoint:
Congratulations to everyone involved with the “Springtime in Paris” gala, hosted by the
Brockville & District Hospital Foundation on April 25.
As part of our strategic planning community engagement, we were asked to
make improvements on the 1 East in-patient unit. You spoke, BGH listened and as a
community, we responded!
On behalf of the Hospital’s Board of Governors, staff, physicians and volunteers,
we extend a heartfelt thank you for your support to make this improvement a reality.
Whether a volunteer, sponsor or guest your generous contributions will improve patient care at Brockville General Hospital. More than $401,000 was raised
through your generosity, and the work of the gala committee; enabling us to deliver on
our commitment to you. We would like to extend a special thank you to the Brockville
and District Hospital Foundation and the Gala Committee coordinating such a special
event.
Your support speaks volumes, and we will continue to listen. This is one of the
many ways we will deliver on our goal to ensure Excellence in the Whole Hospital Experience.
Sincerely,
Neil Bhatt
Chair, Board of Governors
Tony Weeks
President and Chief Executive Officer
May 3-9, 2015 is Hospice Palliative Care Week
May 3-9, 2015 is Hospice Palliative Care Week
Join our Palliative Care team for a tea on Monday May 4 at 11am.
Follow BGH on Facebook for more updates throughout the week!
Mindfulness Practice for the
Treatment of PTSD
~ Wayne Nadler Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Mindfulness meditation dates back at least
2500 years to the beginnings of Buddhism. While
many people in the United States began to practice
Buddhism in the 1960’s, and found the benefits of
mindfulness and the Buddhist principles, psychotherapists discovered that these methods do not require
conversion to Buddhism, and have great benefit for
anyone suffering from anxiety, depression or Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Mindfulness meditation is something understood primarily by engaging in the practice, but to
give some sense of it you could say that it involves a
voluntary shift of attention to the Meta level of consciousness; that is, becoming aware of the feelings,
thoughts, urges or sensations flowing through consciousness at this very moment. Rather than simply
being caught up in thoughts, feelings, images or sensations, attention is directed towards the contents of
the mind. The flow of phenomena is noticed; how
certain ideas return again and again; how there are
reactions to ideas and sensations, that is, desire to
have, desire to avoid (e.g. attachment, craving, anxiety, fear, loathing). The arising and falling away of
ideas, feelings, and sensations is mindfully followed
with an attitude of acceptance of whatever presents
itself. The usual reactions and patterns of absorption
that characteristically lead to symptoms and problems are now attended to with patient acceptance.
Rather than thinking, feeling and acting according to
past conditioning, there is now an opportunity to create a space of possibility and in that space change can
occur.
One benefit is therefore deepening insight
into what is happening in your own mind. How do
you construct and organize your experiences? Create
anxiety or depression? Respond with avoidance or
strong feelings automatically when confronted with
some situation related to a traumatic experience.
There is a secondary and more immediate
benefit derived from mindfulness meditation. A deepening state of calmness results as the mediator detaches from the incessant and often chaotic bouncing
about of thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations.
Pointless inner chatter, ruminating about the past
and worrying about the future are experienced at a
distance, and a sense of peacefulness pervades the
mind dwelling more and more fully in the actual present moment. In many variants of mindfulness practice sensations associated with breathing are used as
a touch-stone, which is experienced as the backdrop
against which thoughts, feelings, images and sensations stand out as they arise. The breath is also perceived with acceptance and freed from conscious interference, just as it is increasingly freed from the influence of absorptions in past or future concerns. This
results in a natural slowing of the breath and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Balance
or entrainment of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems is subjectively experienced as
“relaxation”, “calmness” and or “peacefulness”.
In Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a person is
left in a state of hypervigilance and hyperreactivity,
always in a state of readiness to respond to attack;
always ready to perceive threat in day to day events
that in any way resemble the initial trauma; jumpy,
anxious; and there is a strong desire to avoid what
seems threatening to the point that people will isolate themselves or try to blunt feelings artificially like
with drugs and alcohol. You can feel disconnected
from others and yourself, lost in an effort to just be
numb rather than feel pain. Continued on page 12
If ever you feel that you’re being
overtaken by stress, anxiety, depression
or something you can’t explain, call the
crisis line to talk anytime, any day
613-345-4600.
Event Calendar
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1
May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
May 4-10: Mental Health Awareness Week
2
Wear Purple to
support Sexual
Assault Survivors
May 11-17: Nursing Week
4
SATURDAY
Ontario Doctor’s
Day
May 3-9: Palliative Care Week
3
FRIDAY
5
6
7
8
SARA & DIANA’S
BAKING &
HANDCRAFTED
JEWELLERY
9
UNA’S ANGELS
OF LOVE
10
11
12
STAFF
FORUM
13 Nursing
Week Dinner
14
15
16
20
21
22
EPICURE
SELECTIONS
23
28
29
30
5
6
PEGGY’S
PASSION
17
24
31
18
19
Victoria Day
SE LHIN OPEN
HOUSE @ Royal
Brock
25
26 BGH Staff ,
Physician &
Volunteer Open
House (10am,
2pm)
27
2
3
June 1
CASUAL CRAFTS
4
Next Staff Forum Date
May 12
2-3pm, Charles Street Auditorium
Video-conferencing available at GSS Boardroom, FARC Boardroom.
All staff are encouraged to attend!
Page 18
Mindfulness Practice for the
Treatment of PTSD
Continued from page 10
Mindfulness practice helps with PTSD by calming the
nervous system. With continued practice there is less
hyperreactivity. Helping the sufferer to simply accept
whatever arises in moment to moment consciousness
increasingly frees you from automatic responding.
Helps you realize that you are not in danger now in
this moment and that your anxiety flows from automatic learning that took place at the time of the trauma. Mindfulness practice also helps you to face whatever arises in your minds such as images, thoughts
feelings or sensations related to the trauma and to
receive them with acceptance. This calmness and
insight increasingly helps to integrate the trauma; to
allow it enough mental space that the natural healing
processes can act, releasing the pain and changing
your understanding of the trauma; changing the
meaning of the trauma. There is a greater sense of
control, which paradoxically flows from accepting and
letting go. The trauma gradually (or more quickly) be-
comes a natural part of your personal narrative and
not something that controls you as an alienated, undigested experience.
Hopefully this gives you some sense of what
mindfulness is and the ways in which it may be of assistance with anxiety, depression and PTSD. There are
great many resources, many free on the internet.
www.urbandharma.org/pdf/
mindfulness_in_plain_english.pdf - An excellent book
explaining mindfulness clearly for Western readers.
www.jimhopper.com A therapist whose site contains a great deal of information on sexual abuse and
who has a special section on the use of mindfulness
www.vipassana.com Offers affordable training online
www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm Free
(accepts donations) resource for talks about mediation and guided meditations
www.tarabrach.com/audiodharma.html Excellent
psychologist and Buddhist teacher whose works are
available free and would help anyone get started in
the right manner
Annual General
Meeting
May 27, Brockville Tabernacle
Guest speaker : Cardiologist Dr. Jaimie Hynd.
We welcome all our Volunteers.
Please contact Cheryl Marshall by May 22nd.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed
2 (4-inch) Portobello mushroom caps (about 6 ounces)
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick
slices
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
3. To prepare salad, coat asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, onion, and bell pepper with cooking spray. Place
vegetables on grill rack; grill 4 minutes on each side or until slightly blackened. Remove vegetables from grill; cool
slightly. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces.
4. Add vegetables, basil, chives, and parsley to vinaigrette; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.
6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup salad and 1 tablespoon cheese)
Mental Health Awareness
Week is May 4-8, 2015
Build awareness.
Join our events:
May 4:
Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week with our tea in the
CSS Cafeteria, 2pm
“Be Well” Wellness Workshop at CSS Auditorium, 11:50-12:20pm &
12:30-1PM
Fasica Stretch Therapy, 10-2pm. Email bewell@choleysfitness.com for details.
May 5:
Kickboxing at CSS Auditorium, 11am, 11:45, 12:30. FREE to staff!
May 6:
“Be Well” Wellness Workshop at 1000 Islands Mall, Community
Room, 1-2pm, and Yoga 2:15-3pm
May 7:
“Boosting your Positive Outlook” at CSS Auditorium, 12 noon—contact
Jenn at ext. 1083 for details.
May 8:
Yoga at CSS Auditorium, 11am, 11:45, 12:30. FREE to staff!
Contact Elizabeth at whiel@bgh-on.ca or 613-342-2262 ext. 5559 for more info.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW EMPLOYEES
Last Name
Jenkins
Pettem
Coville
Armstrong
Hughes
Clermont
Schaub
Stratton
First Name
Melissa
Amy
Tamara
Kyle
Jocelin
Catherine
Susan
Deborah
Position
RN
RN
PSP
PSP
RN
RN
Director – returning
RN - returning
Department
Emergency
GSS / Med Surg
GSS / Med Surg
GSS/Med Surg
GSS/Med Surg
ICU
Lab, IC & Pharmacy
Day Surgery
Employee Service Recognition
These special events allow us to recognize staff who have been with BGH in 5
year increments, as of December 31, 2014.
Staff with 5,10,15 and 20 years of service with BGH
Thursday May 28, 2015 2:00 p.m. in the CSS Cafeteria
Staff with 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service with BGH
Friday May 29, 2015 5:30 p.m. at CJ’s Banquet Hall
Check out all employment opportunities outside the blue elevator on the ground floor
of CSS or visit www.bgh-on.ca under the “Careers” section.
May 1 was a special day for Maride in
our Laundry team: she’s retiring! Her
colleagues treated her to a special
lunch, complete with decorative linens
on the tables, and a personalized hat.
Cheers to you, Maride!
Page 17
,
Meet Our Lab Team
Submitted by Stephanie Etherington
Hello everyone!
This is Stephanie Etherington.
I usually write the bios, so I’m going to do my own in
first person. I’m a part time Medical Lab Technologist
working in the core lab, as well as a casual Autopsy
Assistant. I’ve been at BGH since 2011, when I graduated from St. Lawrence College after doing my placement here. I started as casual and went to part time
after about a year and a half or so.
to figure something out or to find something new - it’s
always a learning experience. The opportunity to continually learn is one of the best aspects of this job for
me.
I went back to college as a mature student after being
a self-employed beekeeper for several years. Beekeeping was fascinating and rewarding - just not financially.
In the pursuit of stability and a steady income, I found
the med lab program and quickly realized once I started that this was right for me. Science is my thing and
I love my job. While I enjoy being behind the scenes, I
I’m so happy and grateful to be immersed in it everylove being part of the team that makes a difference for
day. I’m also grateful for how much I’ve learned at
patients - part of your team. Just like most MLTs, I enBGH - not only about lab medicine, but about myself
joy the investigative nature of our job. It’s rewarding
and working with others. We have such a great team!
I adore my little village of Lyndhurst where I volunteer on the Lyndhurst Turkey Fair committee come and check it out on Sept 19! I like to read,
take photos, learn to play guitar, garden and spend
time with my family. I have a 14 year old son who
becomes more awesome and surprising every day.
I have also started a Trap/Neuter/Release program
for feral cats in my village in the hopes of making
their situation better.
I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting our lab staff…
there’s more to come!
“I love my job. While I enjoy being behind the scenes, I love
being part of the team that makes a difference for patients part of your team.”
“Although we play a behind-the-scenes detective role, I
find my job very rewarding - knowing that our lab results are assisting the clinician in the diagnosis and
treatment of patients.”
Jessica’s mother is a nurse here at BGH. (“A GREAT
one,” Jessica says.) When Jessica was still in high school,
Medical Lab Technologist working in the core lab since her mom came to her and asked if she’d be interested
June 2012, when she graduated from St. Lawrence Col- in laboratory sciences. Like many people, Jessica wasn’t
lege after finishing her placement at BGH. She started
sure what it entailed, but after researching the college
out in a casual position, but soon became part time. She program, she realized she’d found her future career.
also has a casual position in the lab at Perth and Smiths
Falls District Hospital, where she works in the core lab
and performs phlebotomy.
Meet Jessica McCarroll, a part time
“Although we play a behind-thescenes detective role, I find my job
very rewarding - knowing that our
lab results are assisting the clinician
in the diagnosis and treatment of
patients,” says Jessica.
Outside of work, Jessica is often at
the gym. “I love working out!”, she
says. “It feels like my second home
sometimes.” She also enjoys spending time with her family, friends and
her boyfriend. “And my cat, of
course,” she adds.
What Grounds us Together
by Tony Weeks , President & CEO
A story shared with me the other day highlights the true ‘big picture’ of the business we are in - less about the
finances and more about our core business - caring for people, and frankly humanity.
The story goes like this. A couple in their 90’s, Eric and Ellen, married for nearly 74 years, were recently admitted to the first floor of BGH; both approaching end-of-life.
The staff of the unit, led by Charge Nurse Beth Gibson, worked together to juggle bed assignments to ensure
they could be side by side, in the same room.
Eric and Ellen spent their final hours holding hands, until sadly, Ellen passed away.
With no known children, and an inability for Eric to leave the hospital, our caring staff went above and beyond
by coordinating a memorial service for Ellen, directly on the unit. Eric was appropriately dressed, and his room
decorated for a respectful service, which was led by spiritual care staff on a Friday. Eric passed away on Sunday, just two days later.
Staff on 1 East shared with me that Eric and Ellen touched the lives of healthcare workers beyond the walls of
BGH as well, including their Personal Support Worker, and Family Physician. I imagine the list goes on, as it
seems they were a very nice couple who cared deeply for those around them.
When these stories are shared they are humbling. They remind us of the bigger picture, and they ground us in
what’s most important in the business of healthcare.
Financial challenges will come and go, but what will remain are hospital teams that have an engrained commitment of compassion and empathy for the patients cared for each and every day.
We should all be very proud. The team provided excellent patient-centred care, and they took it to a whole
different level by ensuring a respectful and compassionate end-of-life experience for two wonderful human
beings.
Rest in Peace, Eric and Ellen. Thank you for keeping us grounded.
www.bgh-on.ca | 613-345-5649 | 75 Charles St., Brockville
Angie, Beth and Katelyn, 1 East nurses