HONOURABLE MENTION

It is a great honour to nominate Jackline Shitera, Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) Nurse Practitioner at Oak Valley Health, for the Hospital News Nursing Award. I met Jackline by happenstance while visiting a Senior Home Support Program patient in the emergency department (ED) two years ago. During this impromptu meet and greet, I was immediately captivated by Jackline’s optimism and passion for care of the elderly. Her enthusiasm for knowledge sharing and warm demeanor created opportunities for peer to peer counsel and collaboration that would not have existed otherwise.

In the months and years to follow, Jackline navigated me through clinical issues ranging from elder abuse concerns to transportation for low income seniors – graciously extending her expertise across programs. When Ted*, a patient of the Seniors Home Support Program presented to the ED for shortness of breath, I witnessed the impact Jackline made on one of our most vulnerable patient population. That is, for frail seniors presenting to the ED for a medical emergency, Jackline is their greatest ally and advocate.

First a bit of context. Ted is a senior with dementia who became increasingly disoriented after arriving in the ED. He is exit seeking because naturally, he wants to go home. He is weak and falls often, but of course, he does not remember this. His chief complaint was shortness of breath that has been getting worse over the last week. The decision to call 911 for investigation in hospital was not an easy one for his wife Pam. On one hand, there was a desire to get answers about the cause of shortness of breath, and on the other hand, knowing there is a risk that an ED visit could be a traumatic experience. Pam, herself is a bed-bound senior and making her best attempt to get updates from her hospital bed at home. She is gravely concerned about a possible congestive heart failure diagnosis.

I visited Ted several times that day and am happy to share that he left the ED without injury, restraint, delays in testing, or need for admission. Jackline’s efforts were monumental to ensure these wins and a smooth ED visit. For example, Jackline moved the client closer to the nursing station for safety and personally checked on Ted often to supplement monitoring by the overextended ED staff. This meant that the client did not require restraints or suffer a fall/injury.

Jackline coordinated and communicated the urgency of all diagnostic tests to avoid delays and an extended ED visit. She communicated with Ted in a manner that was calm and respectful, and made him feel heard and important in his own care. She engaged Pam through regular telephone updates and provided compassionate counselling for future care options. Just as I wondered how the client would get home, I found Jackline (after her shift) wheeling Ted out the doors of the ED and safely handed him to a volunteer driver who would get him home safely.

Ted will not remember Jackline and how in those very busy 6 hours, she was working hard with him and behind the scenes to coordinate the appropriate testing and to get him home, where he felt safest. I very much doubt this encounter stands out in Jackline’s memory as this is the exceptional standard of care she provides on a daily basis. I, however, think this was an exceptional ED visit, if ED visits could be described as exceptional. Jackline has given me an optimistic perspective on how a senior friendly emergency department is possible through exceptional staff as an important starting point. Thank you for the opportunity to recognize my nursing colleague and considering Jackline Shitera for the Hospital News Nursing Award.

*patient name has been changed to ensure confidentiality

Nominated by: Susan Ng