'Pillars of this community': Nurses have answered the call of pandemic


RYAN McCRACKEN


When looking back on the impacts frontline heroes have made to communities across the world through this global pandemic, there are few professions, if any, that have played a bigger role than nursing.


Palliser Primary Care Network executive director Treena Klassen says she communicates regularly with nurses in the field and their effort and dedication never ceases to amaze her in the face of a global crisis.


“Each time I’ve had the opportunity to talk to our nurses, it honestly rejuvenates me as a nurse and as an administrator to hear the level of caring from the nurses,” said Klassen, who also sits on the Canadian Nurses Association board of directors. “They really have been worried about their patients and don’t want to wait for a problem, they want to try to get ahead.”


Klassen added nurses played a key role in adapting to the changing environment and transitioning into new forms of care in the early stages of the pandemic, and continue to be


an important factor in disseminating evidence-based information about the virus and vaccines.


“A year ago, our nurses said to us as a primary care network, ‘We need to reach out to our patients, we can’t wait for our patients to recognize that they


need to come up to us for service, so help us reach out to our patients and reach into their homes to give them service. Really it has been the nurses being energetic, creative, caring, and knowing the patients they serve need extra support right now as we’ve been needing to do things in a different way,” she said. “In the more recent months, the nurses have reached out and said, ‘We need mechanisms, tools and education, to be able to give our patients evidence-based information about vaccines and make sure that people are making their informed decisions based on the evidence.’ That’s the nurses reaching out to us saying, ‘Help us help our patients.’”


Medicine Hat College dean of health and community services Harrison Applin — a nurse himself — says the profession embodies many of the positive traits


required to pull through in challenging situations, and as such they’ve answered the call of this pandemic on a number of fronts.


“I think globally, people understand and really see, especially through media and maybe through business in the hospital, etc., that nurses are pillars of this community,” he said. “I think nursing students really do answer the call as ambassadors of hope, resilience and grit.”


While their work is far from over, Klassen says she’s confident no obstacle will prevent this community’s nurses from rising to the occasion and doing what it takes to move forward.


“Not once have the nurses said ‘I’m not able to’ or ‘I can’t do that.’”


IT TAKES A VILLAGE....


It is with deep respect that we honour all our Frontline Heros. Those in our Village and our communities who step up


each day, without fanfare or fuss, to care for and keep our elder-adult residents protected & safe.


WE THANK AND SALUTE YOU FOR BEING EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN THESE EXCEPTIONAL TIMES.


chinookvillage.com • 403 526 6951 • 2801 - 13TH AVE SE, MEDICINE HAT, ALBERTA MAY 2021 - 9


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12