Sample of The Registered Practical Nursing Journal

(The Power of... cont’d from p.2)
gram will include a robust mentorship
module that will enhance our popular
Career Directions program, as well
as a tool to help match mentors with
mentees. We’re very excited about
the potential for this new program,
which you can read about in more
detail on page 5.
If you’d like to learn more about
the benefits and the potential of
mentorship, visit the ‘RPN Careers’
page of our website and click on the
‘Advancing Your Career Through
Mentorship’ tab. There, you’ll find
an audio Career Conversation
focused on mentorship, featuring
the firsthand experiences of me, my
mentor and my mentee. The purpose
of this online conversation isn’t to
bore you with our personal stories
but, rather, to highlight the promise
and potential of the mentor/mentee
relationship and inspire you to take
advantage of this special dynamic in
your own career.
We’re aiming to unveil RPNAO’s
mentorship program early in 2013
and we encourage you to learn more
about it and take full advantage of it.
Dianne Martin,
RPNAO Executive Director
dmartin@rpnao.org
(Playing it Safe With... cont’d from p.3)
(A Mother’s Promise... cont’d from p.9)
Lougas. “It wasn’t easy. It was certainly
a struggle. But she knew that she
had to do this.”
And in those tough days, Kornek
says she leaned on her classmates
and teachers for support, which
helped her persevere even in the
darkest of times.
“I had immense support from my
classmates and my instructors,” she
says. “It just got me through it. I was
able to grieve.”
Kornek, who is currently working
in a long-term care facility in Durham,
Ontario, believes her story proves
that no matter how difficult life
becomes, there is always a reason
to keep believing.
“People in life who have gone
provides nurses with almost instant
access to research, best practice guidelines
and professional standards. Social
media is here to stay and asking nurses
to forego their phones doesn’t seem
like a realistic solution.
So what’s a nurse to do Well, if your
organization has a social media policy,
read it carefully and do your best to
adhere to it. If they don’t have such a
policy, however, it’s probably a good
idea use our professional guidelines and
standards around professionalism, ethics
and confidentiality to come up with
a common sense strategy for responsible
use of social media. That should
serve as a good cornerstone on which
to base your social media decisions.
As Kris Voycey, President of the
College of Nurses of Ontario said in
the fall 2011 edition of The Standard,
“New technologies come and go.
Professionalism, however, never
changes.”
Brenda Mundy,
RPNAO President
bmundy@rpnao.org
through traumas, they can still make
something out of themselves,” she
said. “Once you find out who you are,
the sky is the limit.”
Now, the highlight of Kornek’s day is
going into work and caring for patients.
“I want to go to work and make a
difference in someone’s day,” she says.
Kornek says the painful experiences
she suffered through over the
past several years have helped her to
become a nurse who truly understands
compassionate care.
“She knows the pain that people go
through and she knows the struggles
that people experience in their lives,”
says Lougas. “This was the avenue she
needed to pursue. She’s destined to be
a very good nurse.”
(I’m Where I’m... cont’d from p.11)
each patient in their first spoken
language,” says Jen Ball, a recentlygraduated
RPN who started working
in the clinic last spring. “And if she
doesn’t know how to say ‘hello’ in
their language, she’ll find out how
to say it and remember that the next
time they’re in.”
The clinic staff consists of eight doctors,
two nurse practitioners and four
RPNs. Greenwood and the other RPNs
ensure the patient flow is handled
efficiently in the 12-room clinic. “We
bring the patients in, get them ready
for the doctor, do vitals, prenatal
work if they’re pregnant, administer
shots, tests, whatever needs to be
done,” she says.
“Joanne’s so patient and kind,” says
Dr. Moore. “And on top of that, she’s
a great nurse. She’s skilled, she’s dependable
and she’s always taking the
initiative to help make this a better
place to work.”
“I learn something from her every
day,” says Ball. “She’s gracious,
empathetic, caring – her attention
to detail with everything she does is
inspiring. She’s everything I’d like to
be in a nurse.”
Greenwood’s colleagues nominated
her for RPNAO’s Award of Excellence
and Innovation without her
knowledge. As Dr. Moore explains,
“Joanne never wants to be the centre
of attention.” When she received the
call letting her know she had won the
award, Greenwood was surrounded
by all her colleagues at the clinic.
“It was quite touching,” says Greenwood,
who admits that she considers
the award, “A huge deal and, to me,
a confirmation that I’m where I’m
supposed to be.”
Greenwood, who is married with a
four-year-old son, accepted her award
in-person at RPNAO’s awards banquet
at the AGM and Conference in late
September. She was accompanied by
her husband Chris, her mother and
her sister.
www.rpnao.org
RPNJ – Winter 2013
13