The Standard, Winter 2012 - College of Nurses of Ontario

IN Prase of Nursesin the reassuring, encouraging andexpert hands of nurses. His NP, BelaDharia, continued to follow himclosely after he was discharged home,including sending many reassuringemails back and forth.Every aspect of my grandson’scare was managed with calm, lovinghands. I was truly in awe of themanagement of technology combinedwith compassion. Aside from theirexpert skill, another amazing part oftheir work was their ability to helpour family manage worry and fearwith a kind word or smile.Because of the expert care andteam of nurses who cared for mygrandson, the outcome was excellent.He is home and thriving in goodhealth. We are forever grateful.Catherine Hansen, RNAdmirable care providersOn behalf of my family, I want tothank the staff at Royal Oak LongTerm Care Centre in Kingsville forthe exceptional care my mother, EnidThorpe, received from the day youopened your doors until she passedaway.My mother was always treated withdignity, love and compassion. Thenurses and other staff were attentiveand efficient. They often went theextra mile to cheer her up by updatingher on the latest Royal Family gossipor giving her an extra cup of tea. Theywere even more outstanding duringthe last few weeks of her life.Thank you all for being so positiveand caring.Sincerely,Katie ThorpeExcellent team of professionalsI recently spent 16 days on 3CNeurosurgery at Thunder BayRegional Health Sciences Centreafter surgery to correct a severe spinalcord compression. The rapid surgicalresponse and my return home lessthan one month later are due to theexcellent team working there. Fromthe beginning, my husband and Iwere kept well-informed and receivedcompassion, support and care fromeveryone. The RNs and other staffwere the best I have met in my morethan 40 years working in nursing. Iam so grateful they were there for meand my family.Sincerely,Gail Govier, RNA health care advocateI am writing to you about MichelineMcCarthy, NP, who works at NorthBay Regional Health Centre.I had an MRI (magnetic resonanceimaging) scan scheduled to look intoback problems I was having becauseof a herniated disc, but during anappointment with Micheline, shebecame very concerned about a footdrop I had developed. She spoketo the emergency physician, I wasadmitted immediately and I had backsurgery two days later.After my surgery, I experienceda lot of discomfort. I went to theemergency department several times,but was told that it was just part ofthe recovery. I had an appointmentbooked with Micheline to discussphysiotherapy, and during thisappointment she noticed thatsomething was very wrong. Sheconsulted with the emergencyphysician and I was admitted to thehospital. She was right again—I hadan infection in my surgical site.Once I was home recovering fromthe surgery and infection, I felt quitealone and shut up in my house.Micheline spent more than one houron the phone listening to me talkabout how I was feeling, physicallyand emotionally, and followed upappropriately.I honestly do not think I wouldhave made it through all of thiswithout Micheline. I want to ensurethat she is recognized for saving mylife and, quite literally, my limbs fromneuropathology. If I had waited forthe MRI scan and Micheline hadnot recognized the warning signs ofa spinal injury, I might not have hadsuch a positive outcome. If she hadnot noticed the post-surgical backpain, the infection could have spreadto my blood and I could have died ofsepsis. I hope that Micheline gets allthe praise she deserves.Andrea HewardA truly special nurseDuring his battle with cancer, myDad dealt with many fabulous healthcare providers. The doctors, nursesand personal support workers wereprofessional and sympathetic, andwe knew that Dad was receiving theabsolute best possible care.But one nurse stood out the mostand had a very meaningful impacton our family. Colleen Stang, RN,is remarkable at what she does. Shetreats each of her patients as if theyare her only patient. My familyappreciated Colleen’s kindness andsupport. She is a truly special person,a gift and a blessing to the nursingprofession.I hope that no family has toexperience the grief that cancerbrings, but if they do, I hope theyhave someone like Colleen on theirside.Tom NewellSend your letters to:InPraiseOfNurses@cnomail.org orCollege of Nurses of Ontario101 Davenport Rd.Toronto, ON M5R 3P1College of Nurses of Ontario the standard winter 2012 45