Nursing - L`Hôpital d`Ottawa

VOL. 14 NO. 3 | FALL 2012
brought to you by
Nursing Transfer of Accountability:
Bedside Shift Report
Did
you know that up to 80 per cent of serious
medical errors involve miscommunication between
caregivers when patient care is handed over from one
caregiver to another?
Handovers, or transfers of accountability, occur between
nurses at change of shift, when transferring patients
between units, and when providing coverage for a
colleague who is off the unit. As part of our commitment
to patient safety and quality care, Nursing Transfer of
Accountability – Bedside Shift Report (NTA-BSR) is
being implemented in all inpatient units across TOH.
This practice involves nurses giving a verbal report of
pertinent patient information and conducting a safety
check together at the patient’s bedside when they change
shifts. Most medical and surgical units have already
implemented NTA-BSR and the roll-out is continuing
with Obs/Gyn and Medical Oncology.
The following is one of nurses’ most frequently asked
questions about NTA-BSR.
What about patient confidentiality?
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) encourages nurses to exchange patient information at the bedside
while acknowledging the personal and potentially sensitive nature of patient health information. Nurses must
make patients aware that NTA-BSR is performed at TOH and is rooted in safe care and patient involvement.
On admission or transfer to the unit, the nurse provides the patient with the patient education pamphlet.
Information a nurse feels is sensitive or the patient is not aware of can be shared with the patient at a later
time and with the oncoming nurse in another appropriate space.
For answers to other FAQs, visit InfoNet.
 Departments & Services
 Nursing Professional Practice
 Clinical Practice
 NTA-BSR
• CNCPC accomplishments • Storytelling • Electronic etiquette
Nursing representation on committees • Work-life balance • Nursing Skills Fair
Nursing News
Edited and Coordinated by the
Nursing Communication Work
Group
From the desk of the
Senior Vice-President, Professional Practice,
and Chief Nursing Executive
The Nursing News is a quarterly
corporate newsletter written by
nurses for nurses at The Ottawa
Hospital to:
• inform nurses of new programs
and processes, upcoming
events, and new trends in
Nursing in regards to patient
care, education and research
• recognize individual nurses or
groups of nurses for specific
accomplishments including
quality improvement initiatives,
research projects, educational
achievements AND publications
as well as presentations
at internal and external
conferences
• promote camaraderie amongst
nurses throughout The Ottawa
Hospital
• provide a venue for feedback on
issues as appropriate
For information
contact:
Co-Chairs
Barb Kyd-Strickland, ext. 73431
Sue Eggleton, ext. 71546
Nursing News Editor
Sue Eggleton, ext. 71546
Members
Cathy Adamson
Gillian Reid-McDonald
adriana villa-coady
Thank you to
KATHRYN YOUNG
Communications
Layout & Design
graphics
tOH Printing Services
Printing
TOH Printing Services
Distribution
TOH Volunteer Services
l.-r.: Nancy Pouliot, RPN,
Ginette L. Rodger, RN, and
Micheline Savage, RN
The
(NPPD) works every day to guide and support
I believe that we control our own career path. As
professionals, we need to ask ourselves important
questions in order to discover the right path and
to enable ourselves to move forward.
for individuals and projects. We participate in
What am I really good at? What do I want
to contribute during my career?
funding to help with your education and your
Sometimes, our colleagues and peers can help
or advise us, sharing their experiences, ideas
and opinions. Whatever we do, we must choose
a path that includes at least one, if not all five,
of the domains of practice: clinical, education,
management, research and policy.
leadership abilities and professional guidance
What patient population do I want to work
with? What role do I want to play? What
area do I want to work in?
The beauty of nursing is that we can do anything
we want. We can work with newborns or dying
persons; in the community or on an oil rig; in the
sports industry or in hospitals. We can provide
direct care, or do research, or provide patients
with education and information about their
conditions. The possibilities are endless!
I believe it’s important that we actively choose
the path we follow in our professional career.
We are the best guides for our own destiny, and
the sky is the limit!
Who can help me? How can I get more
training or education? Who can provide
me with career counseling or help me
fund my project?
TOH is a land of opportunities. The team in
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NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
the Nursing Professional Practice Department
theme for this edition of the Nursing
News is “Helping nurses help themselves.” There
is so much to say!
our nurses, to help them help themselves. For
example, the NPPD carries out consultations
career counseling. We offer workshops in many
domains, on your unit or corporately. We provide
specific and general education programs, and
projects. We also offer programs to develop your
through the nursing and inter-professional
models, policies procedures and protocols.
“I believe it’s important
that we actively
choose the path
we follow in our
professional career.”
So you can be anything you choose to be. Have
you ever thought of becoming the Chief Nursing
Executive, an advanced-practice nurse, a clinical
expert, a clinical manager or a nurse educator?
Think about it!
I hope you and your family had a great summer
holiday filled with rest and relaxation.
Professionally yours,
Dr. Ginette Lemire Rodger, RN
Senior Vice-President, Professional
Practice, and Chief Nursing Executive
CNCPC accomplishments
presentations 2011–2012
It has
been a busy year for the members
of the Corporate Nursing Clinical Practice
Committee (CNCPC)!
CNCPC members are representatives from units
across TOH who have an interest in a particular
theme and joined the respective subgroup.
Themes are identified in
September each year and
chosen based on ideas
and issues presented
by the members at a
brainstorming session.
Logistics and non-nursing-related
duties: This group is working to clarify how
nurses can access bariatric equipment and the
implementation of new personal protective
equipment guidelines.
Clinical accountability: This new subgroup’s
goal is to increase
nurses’ awareness of and
accountability through
care plans.
CNCPC themes
for the year are
decided during
the September
brainstorming
session.
The subgroups this
year have been busy
inquiring and collecting
information, meeting
with other professionals
across TOH and creating
their products. These products are presented
and discussed throughout the year with all of
the CNCPC subgroups in order to get feedback
or suggestions about what to do next. In May,
each subgroup presented its accomplishments
to a large crowd of colleagues, including fellow
clinical nurses, clinical managers, clinical
directors and senior management. Here are a few
highlights from the day:
Documentation: This subgroup reviewed
drafts of revised medical and surgical 24-hour
flow sheets. Revisions to these documents were
based on best practices, College of Nurses of
Ontario documentation standards and ease
of use. The flow sheets simplify processes and
improve clarity.
Patient advocacy: This subgroup completed a
second overcapacity patient survey. Highlights
included the need for appropriate equipment and
the need for a clear process for overcap patients
who are inappropriately admitted. This subgroup
is also working on training in the delivery of
bad news and emotional first aid.
Caring for the
caregiver: This
subgroup has closed,
but it managed to have
new artwork hung in
the B stairwell at the
Civic Campus. More
artwork, courtesy of
Lisgar Collegiate’s Grade 12 students, will
soon be mounted in the central stairwell at the
General Campus.
To see the subgroup presentations or learn more
about the work of CNCPC, please visit InfoNet.
 Departments & Services
 Nursing Professional Practice
 Clinical Practice
 Corporate Nursing Clinical Practice
Committee (CNCPC)
Infection control: This subgroup completed
an MRSA case study to support nurses caring
for patients with MRSA in answering frequently
asked questions.
Model of Nursing Clinical Practice
Work Group
Ginette Rodger – [email protected]
Communication Work Group
Barb Kyd-Strickland –
[email protected]
Sue Eggleton – ext. 71546
Nursing Best Practices
Lisa Freeman – ext. 16979
Nursing Research
Kathy Momtahan – ext. 16035
Policy, Procedure and Protocol
Diane Mullaly – [email protected]
Natalie Ladouceur – ext. 78623
Nursing Professional Practice
Committee
Ginette Rodger – [email protected]
Nursing Week
Ginette Rodger – [email protected]
NANCY JACOBS (ONA)
ONA / NPP
Ginette Rodger – [email protected]
Frances Smith – 731-1314 ext. 260
Corporate Nursing Clinical
Practice Committee
Evelyn Kerr – ext. 16060
TRACEY BUNGAY
Recruitment, Retention, Recognition
Cheryl-Anne Smith – ext. 17894
Robyn Devey – ext. 19897
Education
KIRSTI WEEKES – ext. 78439
Joanne Gauthier – ext. 75641
Management Work Group
KIM STEVENSON – ext. 72134
Advanced Practice Nurses
Laura Wilding – ext. 17086
Clinical Pathways
Barb D’Entremont – ext. 71898
IS/IT Nursing Advisory
Julie Latrielle – ext. 78405
Pam Bush – ext. 78719
Nursing Clinical Documentation
Evelyn Kerr – ext. 16060
Nursing Knowledge Translation
Pamela Tkach – ext. 16897
Margaret Quirie – ext. 16910
Dr. Ginette Rodger
participatED in a skit
performed by the Nursing
Professional Image subgroup.
Staffing: This subgroup completed a “myth
busters” document for those units interested
in self-scheduling. This subgroup is now closed
but will continue to offer self-schedule support
as needed.
Professional image: This subgroup continues to
explore the use of technology by nurses at TOH.
Nursing
Work Groups
and Contacts
Internationally Educated Nurses
Work group
Kirsti Weekes– ext. 78439
Debbie Kaye – ext. 16349
nursing informatics strategic
planning
pam bush – ext. 78719
kathy momtahan – ext. 16035
Claudine Cadet
Germain, Elona
Brown, and Yujing Li
presentED on behalf
of the Infection
Control subgroup.
NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
3
Nursing Professional
Practice Department
(NPPD)
TWO Main Offices:
General Campus, Rm 1351
613-737-8899 – ext. 78760
Civic Campus, 1st floor
Paterson building
613-798-5555 – ext. 14976
Senior VP, Professional Practice,
AND Chief Nursing Executive
Dr. Ginette Rodger – ext. 78749
Executive Secretary
Karen Johnston – ext. 78749
Director, Nursing Clinical Practice
Evelyn Kerr – ext. 16060
Administrative Information Assistant
Natalie Lapointe – ext. 14976
Corporate Coordinators
Clinical Pathways
Barb D’Entremont – ext. 71898
Nursing Education
Kirsti Weekes – ext. 78439
Nursing Enhancement
Robin Devey – ext. 19897
Nursing Best Practice
Lisa Freeman – ext. 16979
Nursing Research and Associate
Clinical Investigator
Kathryn Momtahan, RN, PhD – ext. 16035
Nursing Recruitment, Retention AND
Recognition
Cheryl-Anne Smith – ext. 17894
Corporate Associate
Coordinators
Nursing Clinical Practice
Elise Clow – ext. 19970
Andrea Jewell – ext. 17248
Nursing Education
Nancy Frazer – ext. 16097
Nursing Recruitment, Retention AND
Recognition
VACANT – ext. 17074
Learning Resources Consultant,
Centres for Nursing Excellence
Pamela Tkach – ext. 16897 or 73204
or 82409
Informatics Administrative Assistant
Louise Klaassen – ext. 78760
Clerk Training Officer
Sue Eggleton – ext. 71546
Manager, TOH Models of Nursing and
Inter-Professional Patient Care
Salma Debs-Ival – ext. 73105
MoNCP Research Coordinator
Jennifer Bennett – ext. 16349
Research Data Entry Clerk
Hugo Fortin – ext. 19922
Storytelling:
A powerful tool for learning
Do
you remember the stories read to
you as a child? There is something powerful
about a really good story that stays in our
memory for many years. How many times
do we hear around the nursing station.
“Remember that patient in room…?” The
Nursing Knowledge Translation Work Group
surveyed TOH nurses in 2009 and confirmed
that one of the preferred ways nurses learn
was from their peers. Nurses share stories
with colleagues and everyone listening has an
opportunity to learn.
We need to encourage sharing our patientcare experience knowledge and stories
between health-care providers, which could
offer a greater opportunity to learn new
patient-care strategies and in turn provide
enhanced care for our patients. Often, stories
about challenging patient situations prompt
us to reflect on what could have been done
differently. Was the care provided based on
best practice? Was the team communication
effective, clear and efficient? It is in these
moments that the opportunity for learning
presents itself. Here is an example:
A young woman came to us from the
Birthing Unit a few hours after giving birth.
It was noted that she had critically low
potassium, which was being followed by
Internal Medicine. Within a few minutes,
we had orders to administer an IV infusion
of magnesium sulphate (Mg SO4). This
treatment was completely unfamiliar to us
on the Mother Baby Unit, as we normally
use magnesium sulphate to treat acute
preeclampsia, and it is always given under
close monitoring.
After clarifying that we could indeed
administer this drug on our unit, we checked
TOH Parenteral Drug Therapy Manual and
spoke with pharmacy staff to understand
how this drug was to be administered and
what monitoring was necessary. We also
discussed this treatment with the internal
medicine resident, who explained that they
were also using magnesium to treat her
hypomagnesemia, which made sense.
The patient’s potassium was up only slightly
after the first dose, so we repeated the IV
infusion the next morning. Follow-up blood
work showed her potassium and magnesium
4
NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
slowly climbed into the low normal range.
At the time, we really didn’t understand
why magnesium was being used to treat low
potassium, and low potassium wasn’t listed as
an indication in the pharmacy monograph.
Since this treatment was new to us, we wanted
more information and sought out Anne
Massicotte, the drug information pharmacist,
who shared a few articles that explained that
magnesium is important in the regulation of
intracellular potassium. When hypokalemia
and hypomagnesemia coexist, the magnesium
deficiency should be corrected first, which will
help in the correction of hypokalemia. Lynne
Kroeger, one of the nurses involved in this
situation, volunteered to prepare a case report
in order to share the story. Several in-services
were held for staff who hadn’t experienced the
situation first-hand, so they could benefit from
what we had learned.
As nurses, we need to share our stories
because they are a rich and valuable resource.
It is important for us to ask questions and try
to learn the answers, making use of the many
resources we have available and talking to
subject-matter specialists to learn more. The
result is satisfying learning that stays with us
and strengthens our practice.
Talking to your patients about MRSA
Nurses
are often concerned about
how to share information about MethicillinResistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) with
their patients.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) can
provide resources and information to all staff.
Nurses should be current with IPAC policies
and know where to find more information for
themselves and their patients. It is better if a
health-care provider within a patient’s circle
of care is the one who provides them with
education about MRSA.
Below is an example of some of the questions
and information you can provide your patients
who are diagnosed as MRSA-positive.
Background
Information
A 77-year-old woman comes in for an elective
total knee-replacement surgery. Routine
swabs are taken at admission, and she is
admitted to a four-bed room. Her swab results
show she is MRSA-positive.
sometimes a yellow gown when
providing you with care. We will
also post a green sign outside
your door or curtain and you may
be moved to a private room.
Because you have shared a
room and bathroom with your
roommates, it is possible that
you all have come into contact
with each other’s germs. We will
test your roommates to see if
they have come into contact with
MRSA while sharing the room.
Being a carrier of MRSA does
not change anything for your
family or visitors, but they can
help stop the spread of all kinds
of germs by cleaning their hands
often while they are here. They
should clean their hands before
they come into your room and
after they leave your room. The
hospital provides alcohol-based
hand sanitizer (Purell) on every
floor so visitors can easily clean
their hands. If your family or
visitors are involved in your care,
and will be doing things like
getting you up to go the bathroom
or bathing you, the nursing staff
will ask them to wear gloves and a gown.
What is MRSA? What
does it mean for you
while you are in the
hospital?
What does it mean
MRSA is a bacteria or germ that lives on
for you when you are
the skin. Most people don’t know that they
are carriers of this germ, because it doesn’t
discharged from the
make them sick or cause any problems. We
hospital?
test patients for this germ because patients
in the hospital are not as healthy as usual,
and it can be easier for them to get sick, even
from bacteria that normally would not affect
them. It’s important for us to know if you or
any other patient has MRSA, so that if you
get sick from it we can treat you with special
antibiotics to help you get better.
Because there are so many sick people in the
hospital, it’s important to try not to spread
germs from one patient to another. Because
you are a carrier of this MRSA germ, the
health-care workers will wear gloves and
Before you are discharged home, you will meet
with health-care professionals and staff from
the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC).
They will help to plan for personal care in your
home. CCAC provides gloves and gowns for
workers providing personal care to patients
who are MRSA-positive. Many people in the
community have MRSA, and you don’t have
to take special precautions at home. Good
hygiene, including washing your hands often,
is the best way to avoid spreading MRSA to
other family members.
What will happen
when you come
back for follow-up
care?
Your file will let us know that you are MRSApositive. When you register at the desk, the
clerk will ask you to clean your hands, but you
don’t need to take any other precautions while
you are in the waiting room. When you go to
the clinic room, the health-care provider will
wear gloves when performing care. Healthcare providers should also wear a gown if
they think their skin or clothes will come into
contact with you during your care.
NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
5
Pam’s Computer Corner
Electronic etiquette at work
IS Training and Complex
Support (TACS) team:
Back
Here to help
Work-related e-mails
Do you
in the “good old days,” a friendly letter started with “Dear…” and ended with
“Sincerely…” In the business world, we use these salutations to express politeness, respect and
professionalism. Our words not only convey the meaning of our message, but relate our mood,
tone and attitude as well.
Dos
Don’ts
When first contacting someone, use a
salutation including the recipients name(s).
Avoid confusion by avoiding acronyms and
slang. Use clear, simple language to convey
your message.
Be courteous. Use “please” and “thank you”
when making requests.
Typing in all capital letters indicates shouting
and should be avoided. Also avoid using
bold, underline, italics or other modifiers
for emphasis.
Acknowledge e-mails in a timely manner.
If you don’t have an answer just yet, let the
sender know you are working on it.
Be sure to reply or share messages only with
those people who need your answer. Do not
“Reply All” unless it is absolutely necessary.
Think before you reply. E-mails are permanent Help reduce email overload. Don’t fill up
your colleagues’ inboxes with unwanted or
written documents and should not be written
inappropriate email.
in haste or in anger.
Respect privacy and confidentiality. Use MRN
number or initials when e-mailing colleagues
about patients.
Respect the privacy of others. Ask permission
before forwarding a message.
Our emails are subject to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Cell phones and texting
Dos
Don’ts
Put your personal cell phone on silent mode
while at work.
Don’t respond to personal calls or texts while
on duty. Wait until your break.
Use your TOH smartphone to access timely
clinical information like policy and procedures
or drug information guides.
Remember, if it’s too late to call, it’s too late
to text. Wait until the next day to send your
message if it is not urgent.
Your smartphone can be a valuable
tool for your practice.
Please be considerate
and responsible when
using technology at work.
For more information,
see TOH policy for Use
of Cellular Telephones
and other RadioFrequency Transmitting
Devices (ADM III 230).
AnyWhere RN
have an Automated
Dispensing Cabinet on your unit? If so, you
can use AnyWhere RN on any computer on
your unit to submit medication requests
and wastages, saving you time!
Training for AnyWhere RN is available
online via the Enterprise Learning
Management (ELM) system:
• Go to myTOH
• Click ELM
• Click Search Catalog
• Type Anywhere and click Search
Activities
• Click Enroll
• Click Submit Enroll
• Click Launch
• Follow the course directions.
Clinical White Boards
Computerized Provider Order Entry
(CPOE) is being rolled out across TOH to
both inpatient and outpatient areas. CPOE
allows Department of Medical Imaging
(DMI) orders to be entered remotely.
On inpatient units, Clinical White
Boards (CWB) will communicate new
orders. The CWB also provides enhanced
communication features including:
• alerts for isolation, falls risk, central
line, and others
• duplicate patient flags identifying
patients with the same name
• name of physician, resident and nurse
responsible for patient
• break and coverage information
• results flag to indicate when results are
available
• indicators to show when a patient is
out of the unit
CWBs also allow nurses to enter notes,
which are then flagged for physicians to
read.
CWBs are being rolled out at the General
Campus now. The dates for rollout at
the Civic Campus have not yet been
decided. You will be updated as the
rollout continues.
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NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
Successful Candidates
Nursing representation on
committees for 2012 to 2014
The
fourth election for nursing representation on TOH’s senior committees took place
on May 9, during our Nursing Week celebrations. The successful candidates, listed below, will
take up their roles in the fall of 2012. The Work Group would like to congratulate all those who
demonstrated leadership by putting their names forward for these positions. The successful
candidates will be the voice of TOH nurses over the next two years and will provide us with
reports on the committees’ work annually.
Committee
Quality
ONA Representative
Lisa Herlehy
[email protected]
Management Representative
Lisa Freeman
[email protected]
Emergency Preparedness
Kelly Robillard
[email protected]
Tracey Bungay
[email protected]
Brigitte Deslaurier
[email protected]
Ruth Fincham
[email protected]
Jennifer Bennett
[email protected]
Colleen MacPhee
[email protected]
Patient Safety
Fiscal Advisory
The members of the Nursing Representation on TOH Senior Committees Work Group are:
• Laurie Allan
• Robin Devey
• Roch Landriault
• Robin Morash
• Cheryl Anne Smith
• Frances Smith
Thank you to Evelyn Kerr, Eric Drouin, Marilyn Leney, Andrea Jewell, Claudia Hampel and
Nancy Jacobs for your help on election day!
Nurse mentors
make a difference
I am
retiring after 35 years at TOH. I have met many wonderful
nurses along my career path, but I would like to acknowledge one
nurse who had an important impact on my nursing career.
She retired as Madelyn Morgan, but I knew her as Madelyn Firth in the
1970s, when she was the evening nursing coordinator. I was just starting my career as a very young
nurse on a small unit in the old General Hospital on Bruyère Street. I worked the evening shift with
an RPN. I experienced my first death on that unit, and I was beside myself. I called Madelyn, as my
supervisor, and she was the most compassionate person I could ever have wanted to help me in that
situation. I had never seen a dead person let alone have to put dentures into a person, dead or alive.
Madelyn walked me through what had to be done and helped me wade through the policies in place.
She taught me how to talk to the grieving family and was there for moral support. At first, this
experience made me think I did not want to be an nurse any more; it was just too sad a situation
to cope with. Little did I know that I would encounter this situation many more times once I
moved to the ICU later in my nursing career. Madelyn paved the way for me, gave me confidence
in my ability to cope in difficult situations and I will be forever grateful to her for what she taught
me that evening. She gave me the will to continue being an RN and here I am at the end of my 35year career at TOH, thanks to her!
What’s up in
nursing education?
Nursing
Education
Days
The
registration for TOH Nursing
Education Days has been overwhelming.
Thank you for your continuing
interest in these in-house educational
opportunities.
We have a full schedule for the
upcoming year, including:
Course name
Date
Orthopedic
Nov. 2
Pain Management I
Nov. 5
Facilitating Learning
Experiences Workshop
Nov. 21
Pain Management II
Nov. 27
Facilitating Learning
Experiences Workshop
Nov. 28
Palliative Care 2 Workshop
Dec. 5
By revising our processes, discontinuing
the continental breakfast and reducing
our printing costs, we are able to
continue to offer these Nursing
Education Days free of charge.
As a courtesy to others, if you are
unable to attend the session you
have registered for, please contact
Nursing Education – NPPD a
minimum of 48 hours prior. Your
spot will be offered to staff on the
waiting list.
Please register online for the Nursing
Education Day of choice.
Registration forms and more
information are available on
InfoNet.
9 Departments & Services
9 TOH Education
9 Nursing
9 Nursing EDUCATION
DAYS / WORKSHOPS
Nursing Education
78760
[email protected]
I have thought of Madelyn many times and asked myself: “How would Madelyn deal with
this situation?”
Thanks,
Sue Laframboise
NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
7
A team to be proud of
Ambulatory Care Services
What
an exciting way to celebrate ambulatory care services!
On May 11, the Ambulatory Care nurse educators and clerks coordinated their third annual
conference. Our Clinical Director, Joanne Read, started the day with a warm and inspiring welcome,
which was followed by
an array of interesting
presentations. The
presentations were
diverse in subject
matter, from bullying
and violence in the
workplace to the
use of tea tree oil in
blepharitis. We were
even updated on
menopause and had
a case presentation
of dermatology patch
allergy testing. The day
was well received by
all and we are looking
forward to more
successful conferences.
Work-life balance
As a
nurse and manager, effective communication, time management and collaborative
planning are a few of the basic skills that I use each day in my practice. However, going back to
school in the last year has underlined the need for me to upgrade the strategies I use every day
to better juggle the demands of full-time studies, employment and home life.
Here are some examples of how I use technology to keep ahead of my many commitments:
• Outlook calendar: I use Outlook for all my commitments. All entries in my calendar are
colour-coded for the projects I am involved in. I also enter all my study time and assignments
in their own colour, with a 1.5-day reminder of their due dates. Personal engagements are also
colour-coded and have one-day reminders. I block time in my calendar to do preparation and
follow-up work, school work, and for travel time for meetings off-site. I usually have a full week
printed with the priorities for the week in the margin. Additionally, I have daily to-do lists that
I update each day. I also make it a point to schedule fun family time every Friday night.
• Excel spreadsheet: For the two courses I am currently taking, I have a week-by-week view
of the full quarter in a spreadsheet with all assignment due dates outlined. I post copies on the
board in my office and on the fridge at home, leaving me no excuses for procrastination. I get
a lot of satisfaction from checking off each completed assignment.
• E-mail: I try to limit the number of times I access my inbox during the workday. When I open
an e-mail, I respond immediately, flag it for future review or assign it to someone else if it
requires their attention rather than mine. I try not to handle a message twice. I use the same
colour code system for my e-mails as I do in my calendar.
• iPhone: My e-mail, contacts, and calendar are all synchronized with my iPhone. I can access it
all no matter where I am, and can even read eBooks and do school work on the run.
Above all, it’s important to be consistent and to stick with the system, no matter how you arrange it.
Finishing this article means I can check one more item off my to-do list for the day!
Salma Debs-Ivall
8
NURSING NEWS VOL. 14 NO. 3
Nursing
Skills Fair
The
Nursing Skills Fair is a
popular venue for learning.
We’ve had great attendance at the last
two fairs, with 564 attending in the fall
and 629 in the spring. We had over
20 presenters at both fairs.
Special thanks to all the presenters,
especially the clinical nurses from 6NW
(Surgery), Special Care Nursery, Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit, Obs/Gyn and Ward B
(TOHRC).
The next Nursing Skills Fair will be
October 23 to 25. Hope to see you there!
October 2012
Nursing Skills Fair
for RNs and RPNs
CIVIC CAMPUS
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tulip Café 1, 2 and 3
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
GENERAL CAMPUS
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Royal Room
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
RIVERSIDE campus
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Amphitheatre
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
There will be a draw for door prizes
at the end of each day.