Good Grief

As I move forward to attain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, I have been educated on concepts that are vital to understand in nursing. The concept of grief has allowed me to reflect on my own beliefs about the grieving process. I have always thought that the loss of someone dear meant having to let them go. I believed that resolved grief meant getting over the loss completely. Up until now, I was questioning why I found myself still emotional at times over the loss of loved ones to brain cancer and lung cancer even though 2 years and 17 years have respectively passed. I stumbled upon the answer after gathering research articles for an assignment:

[G]rief is an experience that is ongoing, that changes in nature over time, but that involves a continuing relationship with the deceased; it is a graceful, periodic, deliberate walk backwards while keeping a sure foot in living forward.
(Moules, Simonson, Prins, Angus, & Bell, 2004)

Overall, the literature suggested that what I was experiencing was "normal"...and as a Mental Health RPN, isn't it comforting to know that I am "normal"?

Mental Health Day

As we all go about our busy lives, we at times forget what it feels like to just RELAX. Imagine all the stressors in our lives - work, school, kids, finances, commuting, and the list can go on and on.............................

These stressors can accumulate and take a toll not only on our physical well-being but on our psychological and emotional well-being. As a Mental Health RPN, I often witness first-hand what the overwhelming effects of stress can do if left alone to build up within until it overconsumes the mind, body, and spirit. So, remember to pause, take the time to do the things you enjoy, put yourself first for a change - reconnect with YOU. Ultimately, take a Mental Health Day!

Caring Nurses

As a consumer of health care and health care professional, I can see the extreme importance of therapeutic relationships and communication to convey caring. I remember when I had my first baby, among all the pain and anxiety, I clearly remember how I was comforted and treated with respect by the nurses at North York General Hospital. Even though I don’t remember their names, I will always appreciate the words of comfort and encouragement.

As a practicing nurse, I find it unfortunate that I sometimes witness a lack of therapeutic communication and compassion from other nurses. At times I wonder, was that nurse always like that? Why did she/he go into nursing? Nevertheless, I am glad to see that there are genuinely caring nurses out there that take the time to build therapeutic relationships and treat clients with dignity and respect. To all the nurses that genuinely love their job and truly care for people, I salute you. Please never ever get disheartened.

Technology in Health Care

Reflecting upon the topic, “Is technology helping or hindering when it comes to overcoming communication barriers in health care”, I believe that technology has definitely helped in overcoming communication barriers in health care. The information and communication technology tools that are available in the practice setting assist nurses to interact with interdisciplinary health care team members in real-time. As well, the accessibility of client information and pertinent health care data from online databases help to alleviate the communication barriers by eliminating tedious physical retrieval of information from various healthcare departments. Overall, technology has greatly improved communication barriers in health care and its integration into the health care setting has contributed to the enhancement of quality health care.

Nursing, Blogging, and Me

I have been an RPN for over 3 years and I currently work on an Acute Mental Health Unit at a Scarborough hospital. I am very content with my decision to pursue nursing as a second career but I also would like to expand my horizons. Hence, I am currently attending the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Thus far, going back to school again has been a challenging but positive experience. One of the challenges I am currently enjoying is learning how to create a blog. I believe this form of communication technology is a useful tool to share information about myself and my interests. I can’t wait to learn more about blogging!

My Little Girls

My two girls are growing up soooo fast.