Cardiac Staff Matters is a regular publication of updates, information, points to ponder, and news items that are significant to the Program. The aim is to pass these points on during huddles, in conversations, and by posting in clinical areas to ensure widest dissemination.
1. ATTENTION all nurses!!! Next week is Canadian Intensive Care Week! At SBH, the ICCS along with ICMS and CCU (upcoming ACCU) will be celebrating the week with booths in the atrium highlighting the importance of critical care nursing along with offering job shadow shifts to nurses interested in critical care. There will be draws for prizes daily, so come by and learn more.
2. On a related note: Attention all aspiring critical care nurses!! A new session of the Winnipeg Critical Care Nursing Education Program will commence in January. Please see the poster below in this attachment for more information.
3. A group of seven individuals from SBH, including Sheila Bowles (Program Director) and Louise Voth (Chief Perfusionist), went to Edmonton earlier this month to visit the Cardiac OR at the Mazankowski Center. There, they observed the patient flow within the OR to hopefully learn some efficiencies that could be brought back to our own cardiac ORs.
They had the opportunity to talk with many team members, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, perfusionists, housekeeping staff and clerks. Sheila Bowles recounts the following experience while there:
While discussing perfusion practices, an RT came into the room to speak specifically to Louise Voth, wanting to thank her. Louise looked a little puzzled, but this perfusionist went on to explain that Louise was responsible for him entering the profession of perfusionist. He explained that while training as an RT several years ago, the students had the opportunity to spend some time in the OR.
He was observing a cardiac surgery but after a while became a little bored. He looked around the room and noticed the Heart-Lung Bypass machine and a person (Louise) sitting beside it. He approached and Louise immediately started to explain the machine and what her job was. She was so enthusiastic about her work, he left the OR knowing for sure that this was the career for him. He said that, of his class of 15 students, apparently 6 or 7 went on to become perfusionists and he attributed it specifically to Louise's presentation when they were in the ORs. He has now been a perfusionist for over 20 years, as have some of his classmates.
