Honourable Mention: Qunyu Li Cardiac Function Clinic, Mackenzie Health
Qunyu is an exceptional Nurse Practitioner. She arrived at Mackenzie Health in November 2013 and in a few short months has established herself as a kind, caring and compassionate nurse who is passionate about providing care to patients with heart failure. After working at the University Health Network for several years, Qunyu made a conscious choice to move closer to home and begin giving back to her community in Richmond Hill and the broader southwest York Region that is served by Mackenzie Health.
She was hired as the first NP in Cardiology in the 50 year history of the hospital. Qunyu was selected as an exceptional candidate for the role based on her extensive experience, knowledge and skill for a very specialized patient population. Her quiet and soft spoken demeanor, in concert with her incredible ability to give voice to the patient experience and drive quality patient outcomes make her a dynamic professional.
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Qunyu works collaboratively with all members of the health care team in a respectful and professional manner. She has quickly established credibility with her physician partners who now seek her out to collaboratively care for patients who benefit from a nurse practitioner who brings a unique approach to patients dealing with heart failure. Through her leadership and visionary thinking and collaboration with an interprofessional team, a Heart Function Clinic was created and opened in February 2014.
Qunyu cares for the most complex heart failure patients in the inpatient cardiology unit who often have multiple visits and/or admissions to hospital. Through her expert and compassionate care, Qunyu has been able to provide care that is empathetic, sensitive and focused on the physical as well as emotional needs of the patient. She actively uses a variety of teaching methods to translate complicated heart health information into simple terms that are easily understood by patients and families.
Qunyu values the contributions of interprofessional team members and actively involves family in supporting the patient as they transition back into the community. Her leadership has been felt on the unit where nurses feel supported in seeking guidance, teaching and support from her as she is a role model for practice. She creates a safe place for patients and staff to ask questions and seek clarification about the plan of care.
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As a physician partner, Qunyu is an asset to the team. She collaborates and consults as appropriate and her judgment is spot on. She brings evidence-based practice to the interventions she proposes to patient care and is introducing physicians to a new way of interacting with nurses around patient care. We strongly believe that through Qunyu’s presence and outstanding practice, we are establishing a new model of service delivery that will make a profound impact on patient outcomes and satisfaction. This is evidenced by the fact that since her arrival and co-implementing a NP collaborative practice model with Mackenzie Health Cardiologists, heart failure patients under that model have had zero per cent readmission 30 days post-discharge where the national average sits around nine per cent.
We are so proud and privileged to have Qunyu as part of our team at Mackenzie Health. She brings enthusiasm, energy, and commitment to patient care that is inspiring. Patients and families have responded positively to her approach and are confident that they are being cared for in the best way possible. We believe Qunyu Li is an extraordinary nurse who is worthy of the Nursing Hero Award.
