Team 6AB
May 2021
MultiOrgan Transplant and Medical Specialties
6AB
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto
,
Ontario
Canada
Asseev, Alexandre
Barbosa, Ashlee
Batten, Candice
Besko, Terri-Lynn
Birnbaum, Shara
Bojic, Marija
Bolland, Kalyn
Bouwman, Jocelyn
Carter, Jenna
Casas, Rey
Chapman, Lindsay
Cheng, Jennifer
Chow, Alexandria
Dale, Elizabeth
Dash, Melissa
Deans, Jordan
DeJong, Alissa
Dell'Unto, Olivia
Dizon, Melissa
Eitel, Emily
Epps, Carly
Flores-Gerzon, Norma
Gallie (Portelli), Sarah
Gapasin, Kathryn
Gonin, Alyssa
Grossi, Maxime
Hayes, Alicia
Hoang, Minh
Jhin, Hannah
Jordan Bernard, Michelle
Kaarto, Lindsay
Kearns, Hope
Kelly, Leah
Kelly, Samantha
Khusk, Sana
Kim, Elizabeth
Kirk, Ashlee
Knapman, Stephanie
Knott, Alyson
Laing, Christy
Laird, Heather
Latimer, Sarah
Leitch, Jaina
LeSurf, Jennifer
Leung, Timothy
Lewis, Anita
Lin Carriere, Carmen
Lin, Sandy
Lindsay, Sophie
Lingwood, Brittni
Magalhaes, Karina
Malone, Rebecca
Martin, Michelle
Mastrovita, Angela
Matthews, Alysha
McKee, Danny
McKendrick, Lindsay
McLaughlin, Erin
McLean, Meghan
Mendoza, Karen Grace
Merrifield, Madeleine
Merry, Alison
Michel, Danielle
Molinaro, Claudia
Nemeth, Valerie
Ngu, Irene
Perdigao, Raquel
Petch, Elizabeth
Porter, Laura
Power, Laura
Rai, Balreena
Range, Jessica
Reinprecht, Jessica
Richards, Tricia
Roth, Megan
Rowland, Daniel
Salvador, Samantha
Scaman, Jennine
Schwan, Margaret
Shantz, Jordan
Shum, Casey
Sokalski, Carol
Sreekantha, Thilani
Stang, Megan
Tecson, Lor
Torki, Tara
Tran, Linh
Tritchew, Stacey
Van Wijngaarden, Emma
Villanos, Raquel
Vono, Julia
Ward, Julia
Watson, Kate
Watt, Megan
Wegera, Melanie
White, Carly
Whitmore, Christopher
Wong, Rachel
Yogananthan, Nishi
Yue, Natasha
Zettle, Lauren
Znotinas, Annie
Barbosa, Ashlee
Batten, Candice
Besko, Terri-Lynn
Birnbaum, Shara
Bojic, Marija
Bolland, Kalyn
Bouwman, Jocelyn
Carter, Jenna
Casas, Rey
Chapman, Lindsay
Cheng, Jennifer
Chow, Alexandria
Dale, Elizabeth
Dash, Melissa
Deans, Jordan
DeJong, Alissa
Dell'Unto, Olivia
Dizon, Melissa
Eitel, Emily
Epps, Carly
Flores-Gerzon, Norma
Gallie (Portelli), Sarah
Gapasin, Kathryn
Gonin, Alyssa
Grossi, Maxime
Hayes, Alicia
Hoang, Minh
Jhin, Hannah
Jordan Bernard, Michelle
Kaarto, Lindsay
Kearns, Hope
Kelly, Leah
Kelly, Samantha
Khusk, Sana
Kim, Elizabeth
Kirk, Ashlee
Knapman, Stephanie
Knott, Alyson
Laing, Christy
Laird, Heather
Latimer, Sarah
Leitch, Jaina
LeSurf, Jennifer
Leung, Timothy
Lewis, Anita
Lin Carriere, Carmen
Lin, Sandy
Lindsay, Sophie
Lingwood, Brittni
Magalhaes, Karina
Malone, Rebecca
Martin, Michelle
Mastrovita, Angela
Matthews, Alysha
McKee, Danny
McKendrick, Lindsay
McLaughlin, Erin
McLean, Meghan
Mendoza, Karen Grace
Merrifield, Madeleine
Merry, Alison
Michel, Danielle
Molinaro, Claudia
Nemeth, Valerie
Ngu, Irene
Perdigao, Raquel
Petch, Elizabeth
Porter, Laura
Power, Laura
Rai, Balreena
Range, Jessica
Reinprecht, Jessica
Richards, Tricia
Roth, Megan
Rowland, Daniel
Salvador, Samantha
Scaman, Jennine
Schwan, Margaret
Shantz, Jordan
Shum, Casey
Sokalski, Carol
Sreekantha, Thilani
Stang, Megan
Tecson, Lor
Torki, Tara
Tran, Linh
Tritchew, Stacey
Van Wijngaarden, Emma
Villanos, Raquel
Vono, Julia
Ward, Julia
Watson, Kate
Watt, Megan
Wegera, Melanie
White, Carly
Whitmore, Christopher
Wong, Rachel
Yogananthan, Nishi
Yue, Natasha
Zettle, Lauren
Znotinas, Annie
Over the past year, nurses have advocated for visitor exemptions for our chronic patients with lengthy admissions, knowing the important role that family togetherness plays in the mental and physical well-being of our kids and their families.
In a year where Nurses have taken a role in the spotlight, the 6AB Nursing Team has really shone. Amidst all the many, many changes that 2020 brought, the Nurses on 6AB took it all in stride, kept working, and kept smiling. While some other inpatient areas of the hospital have seen a decrease in patient activity the experience on 6AB has been quite the opposite.
As a specialized medical-surgical unit that cares for children with very specific needs that are often very acute and complex in nature, patients come to 6AB from all over Canada for assessment and treatment. The multi-organ transplant patients are some of the highest needs patients seen on 6AB, requiring intensive nursing resources to monitor and care for them. In 2020, unit 6AB saw a total of 59 transplants done, with 15 of those (25%) occurring in the month of November alone! The Nurses on 6AB are committed to supporting the patients and families they care for. They demonstrate each day a commitment to patient safety and engagement of families by working to improve parental presence during bedside handover, supporting families to care for their complex children (practicing CVL care and ostomy care) or helping refugee families navigate the healthcare system in Canada.
Over the past year, nurses have advocated for visitor exemptions for our chronic patients with lengthy admissions, knowing the important role that family togetherness plays in the mental and physical well-being of our kids and their families. Whenever possible the nurses on 6AB work to ensure their patient's individual needs are met. With some particularly complex and long-term patients this year the nurses went above and beyond, allowing choice whenever possible, supporting anxious patients pre-procedure by advocating for and organizing mobile sedation, and by actively involving Child Life and Music Therapy in the plan of care. The nurses also work to care for the mental health of the parents by cuddling a crying baby so the parent can grab a coffee, reassuring their fears on a lonely night shift, or putting a smile on the face of their toddler.
Families consistently speak of the wonderful care they have received from the Nursing team on 6AB. These quotes from parents speak for themselves to demonstrate how 6AB Nurses go above and beyond and how much this is valued by the families they work with:
“They go above and beyond every day.”
“Made me feel like she was my nurse too and not just my son’s.”
“So attentive to all of our needs and added humor in a way that made you just feel great."
“We could go on forever about all of the small things she did for us that made such a huge impact on the overall care."
“Makes you feel like your child is the most important patient."
“Very detailed oriented, focused on his tasks, have great humor sense."
“Expresses true kindness and interest in my child’s whole health- mental, emotional and physical.”
The nurses on Ward 6AB are incredible. I have been so privileged to be part of this group for almost 21 years, and a CSN for 17 years, and think of them as "my nurses".
6AB nurses have a proud reputation of working as a team, and it shows. The past year (2020-2021) has been an incredibly stressful and busy year, despite the pandemic. The ward has surged beyond the allotted 35 beds for most of the year, and they have figured out how to make it work. We've graciously appreciated all the help of relief nurses joining our team, one shift at a time to help with this and they tell us that it shows how we work together and include them in that. Every nurse has picked up multiple extra shifts over the past year, to help fix the extra staffing needs we've faced. These nurses might be tired on the inside, but they'll never show it on the outside. They empower each other to get through the longest, busiest days by helping each other continuously.
There isn't a moment that goes by that you don't hear one nurse asking every other nurse they pass, "can I help you with anything?" If they haven't seen someone for a while, they seek them out and check in on them. They help each other to get needed breaks to eat and chart. They prime lines, mix meds, feed babies, help with dressing changes, and see the collective tasks of every patient and support of every parent as a collective list for the entire nursing team. No one is left behind as they all strive to keep everyone on track. As a result, the patients are getting the best care and the time they deserve with their nurse, to make sure things are done safely. Parents feel supported and more confident in taking breaks as needed.
6AB nurses are here for the patients. The speak to them directly and make sure they understand their illnesses, medications and tests, regardless of age. They advocate for getting treatments done around other things (when negotiable) like school. They wash hair, find age-appropriate movies, take them on walks, paint nails, decorate doors, and print off coloring pages. They advocate for added supports like music or art therapy. They include them in decision-making and hold their hand during difficult procedures. They never lie and work hard to make even the worst days more bearable for our brave kids.
6AB nurses are here for the parents. They don't do this job because of a paycheck. They do it for the million little things that make a difference to our families. They make sure our parents have had a chance to eat. They hold babies and play games with older children so a parent can shower. They offer respite, empty drains and insert Port needles, so a parent can be a parent and not be "the nurse" for their child. They negotiate to feed babies at night so a parent can have a few hours of continuous sleep. They set up scheduled breaks for parents in the Ronald McDonald Room so they can do laundry and have a cup of coffee.
6AB has surged in the number of transplants that our program is used to caring for in a given year, and we've celebrated it. The nurses have all cheered at the experience each recipient has taken, felt a catch in their throat when they think of the loss another family is going through and powered on. They make such an incredibly overwhelming time as smooth as possible. They advocate for exceptions during these Covid times, so parents can be together with their child, even for just an hour prior to surgery. They answer questions even before they are asked, knowing that families are facing new norms. They anticipate needs of parents and provide for them. They appreciate the length of stay these families will have and do whatever they can to help ease the exhaustion. They celebrate every little accomplishment like sitting in a chair, going for the first walk, getting a wound closed, or learning to do painful tasks like injections. They cheer on the parents as well and make sure they are supported at every turn.
6AB has 7 services, and the nurses approach every family with the same amount of compassion, patience, support, and empathy. Whether a child is being diagnosed with a chronic illness during their first time in hospital or returning for the millionth time for a recurrent issue, the nurses provide the same care. No concern is too minor, no request is too much. They introduce families to supports they may not be aware of and provide teaching whenever possible. They print off information sheets, explain every test or medication in great detail, give tours of the unit, and provide the hours of the cafeteria, Tim's, Starbucks, and Marnie's Lounge to every family. They walk patients to tests when the transport team is busy and walk parents across the street to the adult ED in rare situations where they also need medical care. They see these families as part of our family and want to make sure they feel supported. And if you asked any of these nurses if they felt they did anything different than the rest, they would just shrug and say, "That's just how we do things on 6AB."
As a specialized medical-surgical unit that cares for children with very specific needs that are often very acute and complex in nature, patients come to 6AB from all over Canada for assessment and treatment. The multi-organ transplant patients are some of the highest needs patients seen on 6AB, requiring intensive nursing resources to monitor and care for them. In 2020, unit 6AB saw a total of 59 transplants done, with 15 of those (25%) occurring in the month of November alone! The Nurses on 6AB are committed to supporting the patients and families they care for. They demonstrate each day a commitment to patient safety and engagement of families by working to improve parental presence during bedside handover, supporting families to care for their complex children (practicing CVL care and ostomy care) or helping refugee families navigate the healthcare system in Canada.
Over the past year, nurses have advocated for visitor exemptions for our chronic patients with lengthy admissions, knowing the important role that family togetherness plays in the mental and physical well-being of our kids and their families. Whenever possible the nurses on 6AB work to ensure their patient's individual needs are met. With some particularly complex and long-term patients this year the nurses went above and beyond, allowing choice whenever possible, supporting anxious patients pre-procedure by advocating for and organizing mobile sedation, and by actively involving Child Life and Music Therapy in the plan of care. The nurses also work to care for the mental health of the parents by cuddling a crying baby so the parent can grab a coffee, reassuring their fears on a lonely night shift, or putting a smile on the face of their toddler.
Families consistently speak of the wonderful care they have received from the Nursing team on 6AB. These quotes from parents speak for themselves to demonstrate how 6AB Nurses go above and beyond and how much this is valued by the families they work with:
“They go above and beyond every day.”
“Made me feel like she was my nurse too and not just my son’s.”
“So attentive to all of our needs and added humor in a way that made you just feel great."
“We could go on forever about all of the small things she did for us that made such a huge impact on the overall care."
“Makes you feel like your child is the most important patient."
“Very detailed oriented, focused on his tasks, have great humor sense."
“Expresses true kindness and interest in my child’s whole health- mental, emotional and physical.”
The nurses on Ward 6AB are incredible. I have been so privileged to be part of this group for almost 21 years, and a CSN for 17 years, and think of them as "my nurses".
6AB nurses have a proud reputation of working as a team, and it shows. The past year (2020-2021) has been an incredibly stressful and busy year, despite the pandemic. The ward has surged beyond the allotted 35 beds for most of the year, and they have figured out how to make it work. We've graciously appreciated all the help of relief nurses joining our team, one shift at a time to help with this and they tell us that it shows how we work together and include them in that. Every nurse has picked up multiple extra shifts over the past year, to help fix the extra staffing needs we've faced. These nurses might be tired on the inside, but they'll never show it on the outside. They empower each other to get through the longest, busiest days by helping each other continuously.
There isn't a moment that goes by that you don't hear one nurse asking every other nurse they pass, "can I help you with anything?" If they haven't seen someone for a while, they seek them out and check in on them. They help each other to get needed breaks to eat and chart. They prime lines, mix meds, feed babies, help with dressing changes, and see the collective tasks of every patient and support of every parent as a collective list for the entire nursing team. No one is left behind as they all strive to keep everyone on track. As a result, the patients are getting the best care and the time they deserve with their nurse, to make sure things are done safely. Parents feel supported and more confident in taking breaks as needed.
6AB nurses are here for the patients. The speak to them directly and make sure they understand their illnesses, medications and tests, regardless of age. They advocate for getting treatments done around other things (when negotiable) like school. They wash hair, find age-appropriate movies, take them on walks, paint nails, decorate doors, and print off coloring pages. They advocate for added supports like music or art therapy. They include them in decision-making and hold their hand during difficult procedures. They never lie and work hard to make even the worst days more bearable for our brave kids.
6AB nurses are here for the parents. They don't do this job because of a paycheck. They do it for the million little things that make a difference to our families. They make sure our parents have had a chance to eat. They hold babies and play games with older children so a parent can shower. They offer respite, empty drains and insert Port needles, so a parent can be a parent and not be "the nurse" for their child. They negotiate to feed babies at night so a parent can have a few hours of continuous sleep. They set up scheduled breaks for parents in the Ronald McDonald Room so they can do laundry and have a cup of coffee.
6AB has surged in the number of transplants that our program is used to caring for in a given year, and we've celebrated it. The nurses have all cheered at the experience each recipient has taken, felt a catch in their throat when they think of the loss another family is going through and powered on. They make such an incredibly overwhelming time as smooth as possible. They advocate for exceptions during these Covid times, so parents can be together with their child, even for just an hour prior to surgery. They answer questions even before they are asked, knowing that families are facing new norms. They anticipate needs of parents and provide for them. They appreciate the length of stay these families will have and do whatever they can to help ease the exhaustion. They celebrate every little accomplishment like sitting in a chair, going for the first walk, getting a wound closed, or learning to do painful tasks like injections. They cheer on the parents as well and make sure they are supported at every turn.
6AB has 7 services, and the nurses approach every family with the same amount of compassion, patience, support, and empathy. Whether a child is being diagnosed with a chronic illness during their first time in hospital or returning for the millionth time for a recurrent issue, the nurses provide the same care. No concern is too minor, no request is too much. They introduce families to supports they may not be aware of and provide teaching whenever possible. They print off information sheets, explain every test or medication in great detail, give tours of the unit, and provide the hours of the cafeteria, Tim's, Starbucks, and Marnie's Lounge to every family. They walk patients to tests when the transport team is busy and walk parents across the street to the adult ED in rare situations where they also need medical care. They see these families as part of our family and want to make sure they feel supported. And if you asked any of these nurses if they felt they did anything different than the rest, they would just shrug and say, "That's just how we do things on 6AB."