FERGUS – Nurses, by profession, are dedicated to helping others.
Deanna Burns, of Groves Memorial Community Hospital, however, was recently singled out by her peers and the community as their favourite nurse.
The recognition came as part of the Royal Bank of Canada’s announcement of its Nursing Excellence awards throughout this region.
But it was local nurses and the community at Groves who voted for their favourite nurse to win a $500 bursary from RBC.
“Nurses are the heart of our health care system and take care of our friends and families in their greatest time of need,” said Bruce Gehlen, RBC’s Regional Vice President for Central Ontario.
“The community’s overwhelming participation in the Nursing Excellence award clearly shows their appreciation for everything our local nurses do to keep us healthy.”
The award is part of a larger $60,000 commitment to the professional development of nurses in Grey, Bruce, Wellington and Dufferin Counties. Hospital representatives nominated nurses based on their commitment to continuing education, compassion towards others and willingness to go beyond the call of duty.
Groves Memorial Community Hospital nurse Deanna Burns was highlighted by the community as the most deserving nurse for the bursary. And as a result, the local RBC branch recognized that win with a community celebration.
Mark Burton, RBC?Fergus branch manager, said RBC’s objective this year was to build on its commitment to health care and support the nurses who work in those communities.
Throughout the year, RBC?donated a total of $84,000 in the local region, which includes Grey, Bruce, Wellington and Dufferin Counties. He cited the $10,000 gift to Groves hospital earlier in the year.
Burton added nurses are benefiting as well, through training programs, equipment, community outreach, and essential services.
“We’re providing $500 Nursing Excellence awards to nurses in those hospitals, recognizing them for their hard work and the expertise in what they provide.”
He explained that between May and June, the community came together and provided suggestions on nominations.
Burton said, “Six nurses were spotlighted by their peers, from that, the community put in their two cents and made sure that the number one nurse, in this case Deanna Burns, was acknowledged.
“Deanna was chosen by her peers and the community for her commitment to continuing education, compassion towards others and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty.
Diane Wilkinson, chief nursing executive, offered congratulations “on behalf of all the nurses at Groves.”
“Deanna is the epitome of nursing for us.”
Wilkinson also offered thanks to Burns’ family, “because there were a lot of night shifts where their mom wasn’t there. But now we have her on days. Deanna is truly one of our role models and is one of our amazing nurses who work at Groves.”
Burns appreciated the recognition as she described Groves “as a wonderful place to work.”
Burton said there were well over 15 nominations for the awards, which were reviewed by professional practices manager Tanya Murtagh and a number of her peers.
“The 15 was narrowed down to the six and then the community helped us narrow it down to the one nurse who goes well above. That is Deanna Burns.”
Wilkinson said “Deanna is the clinical resource leader in the emergency department. In that position, she demonstrates leadership every day in the provision of emergency care to patients at Groves.”
Wilkinson added Burns also is a leader in the performance improvement project at Groves, a nine-month project to improve the care patients are provided.
Examples include reducing the number of patients leaving without being seen, and getting patients to the doctors sooner.
“Deanna was one of those champions who worked on that team. She showed strength and leadership every day.”
Murtagh added “Deanna is also a wonderful mentor and educator to all the staff. She’s wonderful and no one can take her from us.”
Burns has been in Groves emergency department for the past four years, but in the nursing profession for over 22 years. “I was very honoured to be nominated,” she said.
“Then when I found out I won; it was really nice. Education is a big thing and the courses are very expensive so every little bit helps. It’s really good of RBC to give this award to the nurses.”
She considered the bursary to the nurses overall, for the nurses to improve their education.
Burns said there are local programs which they do need to keep up on, such as basic CPR, advanced cardiac life support, trauma courses, management courses. and additional skills courses they are required to go through.
Burns is also involved in welcoming and teaching the next generation of nurses.
“We have nursing students who come in, and we take them on as mentors. They work alongside us and we show them how to do things . . . and how the real world is.”
When asked how the students react to that real world, Burns laughed and said, “Very well. We’ve had some great students working in the emergency department. Some of them have gone on to be hired on in casual and in emerg. It’s great.”
Sherri Sutherland, executive director of the Groves Memorial Community Hospital Foundation, considered the awards themselves an incredible opportunity.
“It’s hard sometimes to have the money we need for education in health care. It’s like business … and is often the thing cut first.”
She noted RBC also donated $10,000 last year for skills training for the nurses. “That help has been invaluable and very much appreciated.”
Sutherland said the awards and donation came out of talks with RBC, which wanted to be able to fund every hospital.
“Nursing programs affect every hospital,” Sutherland said.
At Groves, the decision was to offer a skills training day.
That program involved various workstations to check their skills, such as the newest techniques in resuscitation for an infant and what is going on in diabetes education.
The stations were there either because of change, requirements or new policies that are coming about to how procedures are done.
Plus, she said, there is also the adopt-a-nurse program, which is what Deanna was awarded. That one selects someone who goes above and beyond normal dedication. For that, they get a $500 education bursary to get additional training.
Similar celebrations were held by RBC?elsewhere across the region and in north Wellington the nurse chosen was Cathy Hass.
