Celebrating Nursing Week 2020
May 11-17, 2020 we celebrate National Nursing Week, a chance to recognize and thank our nurses at St. Joe’s. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honour of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
This year in particular we want to recognize the courage, compassion and teamwork nurses have shown while caring for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our nurses are the #HeartofHamOnt!
Here’s how you can participate:
If you are a patient or community member
You can #ChalkItUp! Use chalk to send a message of thanks to our nursing heroes. Take a picture of your artwork and tag us on social media and use the hashtags #ChalkItUp and #HeartofHamOnt. Read more about the Chalk it Up campaign.
If you are a nurse at St. Joe’s
Tell us how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed your perspective as a nurse.Share your submission on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Be sure to tag us and use the hashtag #WeAreStJoesNurses. You can also send to publicaffairs@stjoes.ca. We will be sharing your posts throughout the week.
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St. Joe’s nurses tell us how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their perspective as a nurse:
Divya Sharma, RN, Forensic Psychiatry Program
Working during the pandemic has shown me the fragility of life. It has highlighted for me the importance of compassion, and the significant work nurses and other frontline healthcare workers, such as our allied staff and physicians, do on a daily basis. Every member on the healthcare team has really stepped up to support, not just the patients, but their families as well. It has been extremely tough but having a supportive team has really helped us all cope with these changes. COVID-19 has also helped me realize the importance of self-care. Being able to care for myself and reminding my peers to take care of themselves has also helped us be at our best and be able to be positive and compassionate. These lessons will be important as we move towards a new normal in healthcare.
Tammy Robinson, Nurse Manager, Urgent Care, Eye Clinic, Surgery Centre, King Campus
I have to say I’m so impressed with everyone as they’ve worked together to make things happen, get things done, put aside differences and just got the job done so I’m very, very proud of that. I’d also like to say that it makes me appreciate the small things that I took for granted in the past, visiting friends, family, and most especially, seeing my grandchildren I don’t get to see during this time.
Kathleen Willison, Clinical Nurse Specialist
If I had to name one key learning for me it would be how we’ve had to adapt our usual approaches to supporting patients and their families. Here we are in this altered world, where touch is discouraged, physical distancing is the norm and the most expressive part of our face is covered by a mask. So we’ve all had to learn how to engage and convey our caring through our PPE and stay connected and have serious conversations with families who may not even be present at the bedside. So in this seemingly impersonal time in our lives, I would challenge all of us who have always counted on the face-to-face, high-touch interactions in providing care to continue to be mindful of integrating ways to personalize the experience for our patients and their families.
Adam Lloyd-Davis, RN, Clinical Teaching Unit North
Working during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of safe infection control practices both working with patients and among ourselves. It has also showcased the adaptability and bravery of frontline workers here at St. Joe’s and around the world. Together we really are one big team.
Messages from leadership to St. Joe's nurses
Read a message to St. Joe’s nurses from Winnie Doyle, Executive Vice President, Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive; Larisa Volman, Director, Nursing Practice; and Erin Doherty, Director, Nursing Practice.
Watch a video message from Winnie Doyle, Executive Vice President, Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive: