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May
1, 2007
Media
Release
Headwaters
Health Care Centre
Orangeville
– Headwaters Health Care Centre has been awarded the Employer Award of
Excellence by the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario.
The
Award recognizes and honours the employer that has demonstrated
outstanding achievement in improving the utilization of Registered
Practical Nurses (RPNs) in innovative and creative ways and creating a
multi-disciplinary team environment supportive of all health care workers.
Headwaters
began the journey to develop a renewed professional practice environment
in 2002. Since that time, changes in Headwaters’ model of care delivery
to move to full scope of practice for RPNs have resulted in positive
changes for both our nursing staff and our patients.
With
expanded scope of practice, RPNs gain the education and skills to provide
more components of a patient’s care. Full scope of practice benefits
patients as it provides continuity of care and enables one nurse to meet
the majority of a patient’s needs. When a nurse spends more time with a
patient he/she can develop a plan of care that meet the patient’s
individualized needs.
“I
feel the new model of care allows me to use all of my training and
abilities as a nurse,” said Jacquie Parliament, RPN. “The new model of
care improves teamwork and continuity of care for the patient because the
primary nurse is responsible for all aspects of care including medication
administration. Patients are much happier and more satisfied with their
care.”
The
model of care changes were implemented across the hospital. RPNs practice
to their full scope in Obstetrics, Surgery, Day Surgery, Emergency Room,
Operating Room, Medicine and Continuing Complex Care. With the changes,
RPNs initiate and maintain intravenous, administer medications, initiate
and maintain patient controlled analgesia (pain pumps), remove staples/
sutures, insert catheters, and care for post partum patients.
“We
would like to thank all our professional nursing staff for their
commitment and encouragement over the last five years,” said Kim Cook, Vice
President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive,
Headwaters Health Care Centre. We hope we can be a model for other
hospitals going through a similar process to ensure sustainability of the
RPN role in hospital settings.”
Headwaters
would also like to acknowledge and thank TD Canada Trust who provided a
$25,000 grant that was used to fund a medication administration course for
all RPNs.
Kim
Cook, VP and CNE, and Leanne Ament, RPN accepted the Award on behalf of
Headwaters at the RPNAO Annual Meeting in
Mississauga
on April 27, 2007.
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