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The Greater Niagara General Hospital (GNGH) can be a busy place. As a 24-hour community hospital, the Emergency Department sees nearly 50,000 patients come through its doors every year.
Lindsay Dracz, RPN, thrives on the challenge. She’s spent more than half of her seven years as a nurse in the GNGH Emergency Department, where she enjoys the opportunity to think critically and use all her clinical skills on a daily basis.
“In such a dynamic environment, RPNs are vital members of the healthcare team,” says Lindsay. “I can’t provide primary care to our highest acuity patients, but I can alleviate a lot of pressure on physicians and registered nurses by contributing to care plans and providing direct care to less urgent patients.” |
And it’s working. Despite high patient volumes, GNGH is keeping its wait times low and its patients satisfied. RPNs are clearly making a difference.
Lindsay is practicing in See and Treat, a pilot project that brings together an inter-professional healthcare team of physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and registered practical nurses to treat patients requiring less urgent care. The goal of the project is to improve patient care and reduce wait times in the Emergency Department by creating a model in which all nursing professionals can practice to their full scope. It’s been a great success to date, resulting in an increased level of patient satisfaction and improved quality of care.
“I like that I’m in an environment where I’m encouraged to challenge myself and learn,” says Lindsay. “Being part of an inter-professional team means we all grow from each other’s experience and strengths.”
For Lindsay, learning is a lifelong process. After graduating from the Practical Nursing program at Fanshawe College in 2004, she continued her training through certificate courses with the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (RPNAO), most recently completing a course in nursing leadership. She now serves as an Infection Control Champion at her workplace, mentoring a range of healthcare professionals on peer-to-peer and provider-to-patient practices that help reduce the spread of disease.
Lindsay also completed a three-month fellowship in infection control that saw her researching infection control practices, conducting surveys to assess learning gaps in her workplace, and running educational sessions for her nursing colleagues across the province. She will present her co-authored paper, “Enhancing Interprofessional Infection Control Practices in the Emergency Department and the Urgent Care Centre” at the RPNAO’s 2011 Educators Conference this month.
As a young RPN, Lindsay hopes her ambition and zest for knowledge will inspire others to recognize their own leadership potential. “My role as an Infection Control Champion and leader has been incredibly rewarding,” says Lindsay. “It proves that RPNs can lead in informal ways, making a vital contribution to their interprofessional team and contributing to enhanced patient care. “
Want to learn more about SEIU Local 1 Canada RPNs who are making a difference? Visit Nursing Week 2011. |