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Name: Hi, my name is Ev
How long have your been an LPN?: I have been an LPN for 6 yrs.
Your city or town of residency: North Vancouver, BC
Your city or town of occupation: North Vancouver, BC
Facility and department? I work at Lions Gate Hospital on 7 West, Palliative Care Unit.
Full time, part time, or casual? Part-time status.
How long at current position: I have worked on 7W for almost 2 yrs
What is your role in your job and what are some typical duties? My role is as a primary nurse which includes admissions/discharges, physical assessments, processing Dr's orders, following up on any tests, lab results, specimens, reviewing the MAR and pt's charts, personal care/ADL's, full scope pharmacology, and also preparing body for morgue and completing paperwork which includes contacting the Eye Bank of BC.
Have you had to do any additional education in order to do what you are doing? My additional education during the past 2 yrs includes a Certificate of Participation on Skills for Collaborative Practice and a Certificate of Achievement on completion of The Basic Palliative Care Education Course.
What are your usual hours of work and do you work overtime? I applied for this job on 7W because I was looking for p/t, 8 hr shifts
What made you apply for this job? Before I joined 7W, I had worked 4 years in the Float Pool at LGH. I knew that 7W had a great team of dedicated staff and the ward itself is not like the rest of the hospital…it's more like a home with a country kitchen, etc.
What makes your job unique from others? I feel that my job is unique from others mostly because of the level of responsibility. On 7W, LPN’s get to deal with an enormous amount of narcotic administration. Also, my role is very much involved with not only with the patient but their families which includes grieving process, teaching about disease processes (what to expect as the patient approaches death) and one-on-one counseling. It is critical that I am a advocate for my patients and their loved ones because when patients are terminal, quite often there are a lot of family dynamics/issues that come to the forefront.
Are you part of an interdisciplinary team? If so, what other professions do you work and consult with? Definitely, I am very much part of an interdisciplinary team. I consult with doctors, CRN, RNs, the discharge coordinator, OT, PT, RT, pharmacy, social worker, and of course chaplain services.
What do you like most about your job? Least? What I like most about my job as an LPN, particularly on 7W, is the people. I love bed-side nursing, bringing a smile to someone's face, hugging a family member who really needed it, doing everything in my power to make sure all possible needs are met for the patient and their loved ones. I love to dialogue with all the different professions and try to have some laughs at the same time as we are all in this job together. The aspect of my job that I like the least? Shift work!
Share a workplace story of interest. We had a gentleman on our ward for a few months, he had a brain tumor and presented very much like a stroke; quite often he had unpredictable behaviour. He was a very sweet guy...you could just tell, and his family couldn't have been more attentive and loving. This patient would get agitated easily, most often when his family was present and the anti-psychotics weren't always effective. We were still trying to find the perfect cocktail that would be effective for him. His wife of 40+ yrs came to me and asked me the most heart-wrenching question…”Should I stop coming to visit?” Her eyes filled with tears and I reassured her that we will figure out a solution to meet her needs and the patients' needs as well. I immediately called a meeting with a Doctor from the North Shore Palliative Society. I expressed the concerns and gave the Doctor feedback on which medications were effective, which ones weren't; she increased a few anti-psychotics, changed the medication times to accommodate family visits. I reassured the wife that her not coming to see her husband of 40+ yrs was just not an option and she choked back tears of relief. I not only made a huge difference for that family but, as an LPN, my input was heard and respected.
What motivates or inspires you in your nursing career? Be it my patients, family members, or colleagues, it is always the people who inspire me in my nursing career.
Are you a member of any workplace or LPN organizations? If so, what are they and why did you join them? Not at this time.
What to you think the role of the LPN will look like in 5 years?
I think the LPN role will only get stronger and more diverse over the years to come. I think and hope there will be more options to further our education, better pay equity, more recognition as a separate entity, perhaps a more appropriate union. The respect we are gaining is literally growing stronger...daily.
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