Chris Bell, RN

Hospice Vaughan

Have you ever worked with someone who you knew was exceptional?

The world has been watching in awe as nurses and other health care professionals answer the call to care for people in a system reeling from a pandemic. As people ran from the system, Chris ran toward it at a time we needed her most.

During the  first and second year of the pandemic, Vaughan was preparing to open a new Hospice. Chris came out of her retirement to help with the start up in 2021. Chris has been a registered nurse since 1986, and has specialized in hospice palliative care for 20 years. Chris showed up to help open our new program that provides safe, timely, and compassionate end of life care to a community that never had access to this kind of service before.  She said she would work part time however, she worked full time hours and beyond since she started. She was asked to be our clinical resource nurse, but she also informed our work around educating a brand new clinical care team, day-to-day operations, community navigation and intake coordination. Wherever we needed an expert opinion or leadership Chris shifted her attention. If we needed an extra set of hands on the unit, Chris joined the team.

“She not only worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help start up a new 10 bed Hospice   Residence, she did this by stepping out of her retirement. Chris is the epitome of a passionate, professional nurse!” (Manager, Residence)

The systems and structure that may have prevented us from being innovative are now dependent on it. Chris took our ideas about how we could open during COVID-19, expanded on them, and allowed us to showcase our services without pause. We opened in May 2021 and grew from five staff to 55 in a year. We grew from serving clients in the community to caring for over 100 new clients in our residence, impacting 1000 family members/caregivers of those residents in our first year.

Many of us are exhausted while Chris has continued to offer a kind and gentle direction for our new clinical care team which the team needed. She led the development of processes, tools and procedures that enabled palliative clients with less than 3 months to live to enter a calm, quiet care environment that felt like home.

She coached a multi-professional care team who faced a complex system of COVID-19 directives and guidelines to rise above the complexity and simply focus on caring for a client and their family at the most vulnerable period in their lives.

“Chris goes above and beyond the call of duty without being asked, she is very      empathetic/sympatric with both family members and clients.” (Intake Coordinator)

We believe that future generations of nurses will learn about how our profession led in this moment. This is already a defining moment for nurses. Let it also be one that helps the world see individuals in the profession the way we see Chris.

“Chris shares her immense experience and wisdom with us as a team. She is passionate about      providing high quality care to our clients and families, and she leads her team with kindness, respect, and confidence.” (Manager, Volunteer Services)

Nominated by: Barb Fitzgerald, Executive Director (and team)