Today’s Ethics Week Feature – Faces of Ethics: Nursing Practice
(L-R): Sarah Myllyaho, Nursing Practice Leader; Andrea Raynak, Director, Nursing & Health Professions, Julie Vinet, Nursing Practice Leader and Jordan Stokes, Nursing Practice Leader
What does your department do?
At TBRHSC, Nursing Practice helps ensure that nursing care is safe, evidence-based, and compassionate. We act as a bridge between frontline nurses and organizational leadership — turning clinical expertise and best evidence into everyday practice. Our team supports nurses through mentorship, education, and quality improvement initiatives, helping them navigate complex care situations with confidence and care. Ultimately, our goal is to strengthen nursing practice at every level so that patients and families receive the best care possible.
What ethical issues come up in your area?
Ethics is at the heart of Nursing Practice. We’re often reflecting on questions like: How can we deliver excellent care when resources are stretched? How do we support nurses who face moral distress in difficult situations? How do we build systems and cultures where ethical practice isn’t just encouraged — it’s expected?
We also think carefully about the ethics of change — whether it’s introducing new technology, updating policies, or revising clinical guidelines — and how those changes affect the people who provide and receive care. In the end, Nursing Practice is about helping create an environment where doing the right thing for patients, families, and colleagues is always possible.
Ethics is everywhere. Thank you to our Nursing Practice team for helping keep ethics at the centre of care at TBRHSC.
Ethics Affects Us All. If you’re facing an ethical dilemma or have questions, reach out to the Bioethicist, or a member of the ethics committee for support.
Pocket Hugs with Afonso Creations — in the Hospital lobby today.
Local artist Jodi Afonso is on site today and tomorrow with her heartfelt “Pocket Hugs”, small resin hearts designed to be kept in your pocket as a reminder of love, hope, and connection. Inspired by her grandparents, Irene and Saul, Jodi created Pocket Hugs to “spread love, kindness, and positive messaging throughout our community.”
Jodi is also showcasing select artwork, with most proceeds generously donated back to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. Weekly, she will be highlighting a new art piece that will be for sale. This week she has 3 stunning pieces that are brand new!
Thank you, Jodi, for helping our community feel supported, one small hug at a time.
Take Our Kids To Work Day (TOKTWD) — which took place on November 5 — is an annual experiential learning opportunity for Grade 9 students across Ontario.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre hosted over 40 grade 9 students from schools across the city. A team member from Human Resources provided a guided tour through the Hospital to seven departments including the Ibn Sina Simulation Lab, Medical Device and Reprocessing Department (MDRD), Operating Room, Biomedical Engineering/Maintenance, Pharmacy, Diagnostic Imaging, and Nutrition and Food Services.
Additionally, students received a presentation from Volunteer Services to learn more about volunteer opportunities and from Infection Prevention and Control regarding the importance of hand hygiene.
By participating in TOKTWD, students are able to learn about the variety of careers within the Hospital and in health care. This day also creates a great opportunity for employee engagement within the workplace. This event encourages team building, productivity, social interactions and employee involvement.
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s edition of TOKTWD a success!
Dr. Ayman Hassan, Neurologist at TBRHSC and one of the co-developers of the app.
Stroke care in Northwestern Ontario faces unique challenges, including vast geographic distances, limited stroke specialist access, and variable transport infrastructure. Addressing these barriers demands breakthrough innovations that harness technology and data to improve patient outcomes and system efficiency.
The Northwestern Ontario (NWO) Navigate Stroke application is a cutting-edge technological innovation developed to assist health care providers in Northwestern Ontario with efficient navigation of stroke patients to the most appropriate levels of care. This interactive digital tool integrates geomapping technology and machine learning algorithms to provide real-time decision support in navigating patients through the complex, geographically dispersed stroke care network of Northwestern Ontario.
“This app is tailored specifically to the unique challenges of our region,” said Dr. Ayman Hassan, Neurologist at Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre (TBRHSC) and one of the co-developers of the app. “By using continuous and varied data inputs, health care providers are able to make informed decisions for their patients that can lead to better patient outcomes, better care coordination, and enhanced system efficiency.”
The application consolidates critical information including patient location, stroke-specific timelines such as the last known well time, availability of diagnostic imaging at different health care facilities, and estimated travel times based on historical and current data. By combining these data points, the app offers health care providers the fastest routing options and the most appropriate access to stroke treatment sites, helping to reduce delays and improve patient outcomes for stroke patients across Northwestern Ontario. The system leverages machine learning decision models to accurately predict transport time intervals and coordinate stroke management pathways, ensuring alignment with evidence-based stroke care protocols.
This app was designed through a collaborative effort involving data scientists, clinicians, and emergency medical services operating within Northwestern Ontario: Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Northwestern Ontario Regional Stroke Network, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, Lakehead University (Computer Engineering department) and Ornge, with funding through Northern Ontario Academic Medicine Association (NOAMA).
The NWO Navigate Stroke app exemplifies how artificial intelligence and data-driven innovations are transforming health care delivery, especially in rural and remote settings.
The app is freely available on Android, iOS, and web platforms, empowering clinicians working both locally and remotely to make timely, informed decisions regarding acute stroke care. This innovation not only advances patient care but also represents a significant step forward in using AI and data insights to address the logistical and clinical challenges of stroke systems in complex health care environments.
The NWO Navigate Stroke app showcases the value of regional collaboration in developing AI-based tools, the importance of customizing technological solutions to local contexts, and the critical role of data integration for real-time clinical decision-making. It is a beacon of innovation offering insight into how AI-driven navigation systems can shape the future of stroke care in Ontario and beyond.
You are invited to join an inspiring virtual presentation with Dr. Lynda Redwood-Campbell, exploring the challenges, lessons, and humility found in humanitarian medicine.
Drawing on decades of experience in disaster and conflict zones, Dr. Redwood-Campbell explores the gap between intention and impact in humanitarian medicine. Through personal stories and hard-won lessons, we’ll reflect on what it means to practice with humility, navigate moral complexity, and stay grounded when systems — and people — are under extreme strain.
Between Hope & Hard Truths: Reflections on the Humbling Realities of Humanitarian Medicine
Presented by: Dr. Lynda Redwood-Campbell Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University Senior Medical Officer, Canadian Red Cross International Emergency Response Team
In recognition of Medical Radiation Sciences Week, check out this trivia.
Radiation Therapy: Jessica Davies MRT(T))
Today we are highlighting the Radiation Therapist, as a key member of the cancer treatment team. They are directly responsible for the administration of a prescribed dose of radiation. The Radiation Therapist must have the knowledge to interpret the radiation treatment prescription, determine its appropriateness, counsel the patient regarding side effects and monitor the patient’s physical and psychological wellbeing during the entire course of treatment.
Thank you to our Hospital’s Radiation Therapists for your hard work and dedication to the science of medical imaging!
