It’s National Nursing Week and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is highlighting a few of our nurses and their achievements. Meet Lelo Dlamini, a nursing student at Oshki-Wenjack.
Lelo Dlamini, is originally from the Kingdom of Eswatini. She is a proud mother of three wonderful children. Recently, Lelo embarked on an exciting journey to Canada, embracing new opportunities and experiences. As a newcomer to this country, Lelo is eager to immerse herself in its diverse culture and community while building a bright future for herself and her family.
Lelo decided to pursue a career in nursing after being deeply moved by the exceptional care that her mother received during her struggle with diabetes. “The nurses who attended to her showed clinical proficiency, remarkable empathy, and kindness,” says Lelo. “Their support greatly influenced our family’s journey through a challenging period. I aspire to become a nurse, so that I can offer the same compassionate care and support to others during their moment of need.”
May is National Physiotherapy Month and we would like to acknowledge the role of physiotherapy in Ontario’s health care system. Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Assistants use their knowledge of how the body works to assist patients in restoring strength, movement & function. As an integral part of a patient’s health care team, we thank all Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Assistants for their hard work and dedication.
As part of our year-long 20th anniversary celebration, we asked the leaders in our Hospital to share their stories and highlight the growth and evolution of their team, program and the services they provide.
This week’s feature: Health Records
Submitted by:
Shannen Pudas, Coordinator Health Records
Marcia Gillies, Coordinator, Health Records
Christina Bayko, Manager, Health Records
1. Briefly describe your program/service.
Health Records oversees the collection, disclosure, storage and retention of patient health records at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Health Records also oversees transcription, coding, scanning and release of information workflow and activities.
2. How has your program/service grown or evolved over the past 20 years?
Over the past 20 years, Health Records has seen the transition from traditional manual and paper based workflow in support of a more electronic and automated world. This includes:
Implementation of scanning functions in 2014 for Inpatient, Emergency, Surgical Day Care and select Outpatient charts. These patient charts are now available in the Meditech Hospital Information System (HIS).
Transformation of traditional dictation platforms using recordings from tapes to dictations with voice recognition. Medical Transcription has shifted from traditional typing to editing.
Support of Cancer Centre patient health records made electronically in the Mosaiq Oncology system.
3. What is your most cherished accomplishment, milestone or memory?
Implementing and supporting the availability and accessibility of patient health records in the Meditech and Mosaiq systems, enabling an electronic patient chart for improved patient and family centered care.
I wanted to take this opportunity to comment on the excellent care I received during my visit in the emergency department. A special thank you to nurse Mary and the other nurses who took care of me during my visit! Just wanted to make sure to recognize the excellent care I received during very busy times. Professionalism and dedication to patient care is what I witnessed. Thank you.
During this time, we had three nurses – Jennifer, Karen and Stephanie. I would like to thank them for the care, patience and compassion during this extremely difficult time. Everyone we encountered during our stay were very respectful and patient.
Andre was my nurse and he was very caring, attentive and kept me informed of all that was happening. He was very personable, and a great nurse! Thank you TBRHSC for all your great staff!
I cannot believe the care we received from Adrien. This young man went above and beyond to help my mother, get her anything she needed to make her comfortable during her time of need. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered another nurse that was as kind, patient, or understanding as he was. He was not only kind to my mother, but anyone else he encountered in the hallways. I would like too acknowledge him for all of his efforts and his kindness. You really don’t meet many people like him in this world anymore. Please acknowledge him so he knows his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
Our favorite nurse was Lindsey. She was experienced, kind and very efficient in the care she provided. She was on the ball right from the start and didn’t miss a beat. She missed breaks, on more than one occasion, and stayed late when our son wasn’t doing well. She really is an amazing nurse and she deserves recognition.
My nurse Jason provided excellent care while l was in the hospital. He was very attentive, considerate, and compassionate, a GREAT nurse. He is an asset to TBRHSC.
She was absolutely amazing with her compassionate care. She made me feel comfortable, and calm, as well as my child! She reassured us many times we were ok and that we’re doing awesome. Her bubbly attitude and giant smile made the trip the hospital comforting and comfortable. 10/10 service from this nurse for the exceptional care and communication strategies.
Nurse Ken came on for the night shift. Another fabulous person. He was cheerful and checked on my frequently. I did not want to bother him (as I know how busy nurses are) but when I did ring he in no way made me feel like I was a bother. He responded quickly answered any questions while checking if I needed anything else. Even throughout the night when I rang for pain meds, he remained kind and supportive.
Nurse Kelly came on for the next day shift and was the one to help me get ready to go home. Another friendly face and cheerful person. She made sure all my paperwork had been faxed/taken care of. She was professional and overall just a lovely person.
I was treated by Nurse Jamie who removed my surgical staples. I let him know that I was quite anxious about the procedure and he said to let him know if it became too much at any time and he would stop. He was very caring and respectful. I just talked away at him to distract myself. He gave me some after care instructions and I was on my way! It was very busy as always, but I do not feel he rushed; and believe that had I requested he stop for a moment, he would have. Again, just overall great care given by Nurse Jamie.
My nurse, Victoria was the kindest and most patient nurse I have ever had. She was very attentive and constantly checked in on me. Her personality was naturally warm and empathetic. She was clearly made for this role and I hope she knows how big of a difference her personality and empathy make. Please let her know how much she is appreciated.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to Brittany, my nurse overnight on Maternal Newborn. Her positive attitude, attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and willingness to support me as we worked on getting my newborn to latch meant more than I can say. She made a difficult time so much easier and made me feel supported and cared for while there.
I would like to thank Nurse Elisha for the terrific care I received. She made a worrisome visit very comfortable for me with her kind humanity and excellent skill. Her professionalism and abilities reflect very well on the Hospital. We are fortunate to have such a fine nurse in Thunder Bay.
I must express my gratitude to Nurse Kari for the wonderful care she provided during my recent visit. She dispelled my nervousness with a blend of kindness, patience, and humour while keeping to the highest standards of professionalism. I was particularly impressed with her unflappable patience as it was obviously a very busy time in the unit. We are very fortunate to have such a fine, skillful nurse in our Hospital.
I was very impressed with the kindness and caring of Nurse Melanie after my operation. She is very empathetic and helped out her colleagues with anything that needed doing. She is a wonderful nurse and I want to express my sincerest gratitude to her. I must also mention Nurse Sarah, who helped me all through a difficult day. What terrific nurses!
Both of these nurses went above and beyond not only for the care of my child, but made sure that we were comfortable and happy. These nurses are meant to be in this field and show true compassion and care to their patients. We were very relieved and grateful that we had these nurses for our child. Thank you!
A big thank you to Drew who was my nurse in Emergency. He took the time to fully explain things and answer all our questions, and was extra thoughtful in turning down the lights in my room and adjusting the door and curtains so our infant could sleep more comfortably. It was a very busy evening in emerge, so my husband and I were impressed to hear Drew patiently reassure another patient down the hall who was being less than courteous. The job these nurses do at our Hospital is amazing and we thank Drew.
Kylee was terrific. I was in a great deal of pain and she managed to keep things light while doing her job with great efficiency. She is an excellent nurse and her skill and friendly demeanor reflect very well on TBRHSC.
Alexa, a Registered Nurse, was very attentive to my concerns and though the wait time was long she was pleasant and approachable and eagerly ready to answer any of my questions or how much longer I needed to wait and why. She was also very professional and patient with a lot of the other patients that had difficult behaviours in the Emergency Department around me. Medical professionals like her make the health care environment more trustworthy and brings a lot of ease and calm through patients coming in with various struggles and severe medical conditions. Please tell her that she is amazing and ray of light and hope in her workplace.
Enhance your palliative care and end-of-life skills! In-person and virtual education sessions are available. Open registration to Northwestern Ontario health and social care providers. Spots are limited!* Reserve your spot now and connect with other regional health care providers.
Mental Health Awareness Week is happening May 6-10. Check out the poster below for details of the events taking place at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre throughout the week.
Missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2-spirit people (MMIW) is not just a societal issue. It also has significant implications for healthcare. Healthcare providers need to acknowledge the MMIW crisis. By implementing trauma-informed practices as well as culturally safe and competent care, the healthcare system can be sensitive to the varying forms of violence that have ongoing traumatic impacts. l ensure that Indigenous women can access the healthcare system that addresses the unique needs of Indigenous peoples.
May 5 is National MMIW Day, a day to raise awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2-spirit people in Canada. Today is a day to remember and honour those who have lost their lives to colonial, gender-based violence and their families and communities that live daily with the grief of losing loved ones.
You will see people wearing red today to show their support. Wearing red raises awareness about this ongoing national human rights crisis and is a way to take action. It is also a time to advocate for change and to demand action from governments and institutions to address the root causes of the MMIW crisis.
Annette Klement – Cultural Safety Educator, Jillian Larabee – Indigenous Care Coordinator, Namoi Sinclair – Indigenous Care Coordinator, Leona Kakepetum – Manager Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, Dr. Miranda Lesperance – Vice President Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, Maddy Reinikka – Executive Assistant to Dr. Christopher Mushquash & Dr. Miranda Lesperance, Kerry McLaughlin -Spiritual Care Associate
A beading session was held for staff to receive education on MMIW and bead an MMIW pin. Beading is considered a healing practice in Indigenous culture and will allow staff to further their education in Cultural Safety.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is asking the community to provide input to develop their revised multi-year Accessibility Plan.
TBRHSC is committed to making the Hospital environment more accessible for patients, families, volunteers, and staff. To ensure accessibility is achieved under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, TBRHSC will continue to identify, remove and prevent any accessibility barriers to care, services, work and learning.
TBRHSC values input and believes that it is crucial in identifying the most meaningful and impactful changes. We need your help to ensure our multi-year Accessibility Plan is reflective of the priorities and needs of the community.
To support the process in updating the Accessibility Plan, TBRHSC is seeking feedback from the community to identify existing barriers and areas for improvement. This feedback will be used to guide the development of the plan.
The public is encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas on how we can make TBRHSC more accessible by completing an online survey. A hard copy version of the survey will also be available at the Hospital. Respondents can deposit their completed survey in one of the comment boxes located on every level at TBRHSC by the patient elevators and at the main entrance. Alternative formats of the survey can be requested by emailing tbrhsc@tbh.net or by calling (807) 684-6218.
