{"id":76661,"date":"2023-05-03T11:03:09","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T15:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=76661"},"modified":"2023-05-15T09:24:27","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T13:24:27","slug":"from-pets-to-pictionary-how-our-nurses-build-incredible-teamwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/from-pets-to-pictionary-how-our-nurses-build-incredible-teamwork\/","title":{"rendered":"From pets to Pictionary: How our nurses build incredible teamwork"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hockey players grow playoff beards.  The New Zealand national rugby team performs the Haka before a game.  Professional football players dump Gatorade on their coach after winning the Super Bowl.  All of these rituals have an important purpose: to transform a group of talented individuals into a unified team with a single purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many ways, nurses are like elite athletes; each person contributes their expertise and energy toward the team\u2019s single purpose of executing each patient\u2019s care plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No egos here.  Nurses know that they are part of a much larger health-care team, and are quick to give credit to other teammates like their allied health colleagues and support staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in honour of National Nursing Week, we\u2019re turning the spotlight on our nurses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just like sports teams have their rituals, our nursing teams do, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what works for them? We asked six of our nursing teams, who were recently nominated for The Ottawa Hospital\u2019s Annual Team Nursing Awards, about how they foster teamwork, and here\u2019s what they told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7E: A surgery recovery unit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery January the nurses organize a \u2018pie day\u2019,\u201d says Breanna Macgillivray, Clinical Care Leader for 7E. \u201cOn their day off, one nurse opens their home and invites everyone to make meat pies.  \u201cThey all roll out their pastries together and get to know each other in a different way than you would on the unit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with admiring each other\u2019s creations in the kitchen, they also admire each other\u2019s pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a pet board in the hallway by the nursing station on our unit,\u201d says Breanna. \u201cThere are cats and dogs, but there is also Goldy Deva- the goldfish in the wine glass. The board is popular among both staff and patients.  One patient liked the picture of one of the nurse educator\u2019s dogs so much that they took it from the pet board and brought it to their own room.  When the patient was discharged, Tuka the husky was returned to the pet board.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Square
Pets of staff on 7E are proudly displayed near the nursing station.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Close
Some of the more unusual pets on the 7E pet board.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Breanna, these rituals help the team stick together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about teamwork, it\u2019s that bond,\u201d she says.  \u201cWhen you have good relationships at work, you\u2019re able to be a better team.  You have each other\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angela Ryan, Clinical Manager for 7E, agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it just speaks to the teamwork they do here,\u201d she says.  \u201cYou\u2019re not going to fly if you\u2019re not working as a team, and I think these traditions take it to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery day at lunch the nurses sit around a table and play a card game or a board game together,\u201d says Kelly Daigle, a registered nurse at the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre.  \u201cSome favourites include Pictionary, Trouble and Uno\u2014the old-fashioned games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casual card games are fun, but these nurses aren\u2019t afraid to get fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA couple of the nurses are big followers of the Royal Family,\u201d explains Kelly.  \u201cOn celebratory occasions like a wedding, they\u2019ll set up formal tea, complete with fine china, a pretty tablecloth, fancy decorations, and even a three-tiered cake stand to hold their bite-sized goodies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working at the Cancer Centre can be quite somber, so small moments of joy are cherished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe deal with a lot of tears\u2014some of joy for a patient being able to go home, and some of grief because the news isn\u2019t so good,\u201d Kelly says.  \u201cIt can be very demanding.  That\u2019s why, whenever we can, we like to have fun.  We like to really laugh.  Humour is a big part of us working here because we care for people in their most difficult times, and so it\u2019s nice to find joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4W: The Transitional Care Unit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always have a bowl of chocolate and an \u2018open door\u2019 philosophy,\u201d says Melanie Doucet, Clinical Care Leader on 4W.  \u201cIt\u2019s a great excuse for the team to peek into my office, grab some chocolate and start a conversation or check in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From one-on-one conversations to grand celebrations, these nurses do it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFour people on our unit are getting married, so they threw a joint bachelorette party for all the brides,\u201d says Jenny Kingsley, former Clinical Manager on 4W.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can see teamwork everywhere,\u201d says Melanie.  \u201cThe more experienced nurses support the new nurses, and when someone needs help, they don\u2019t even have to ask\u2014someone is already volunteering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe teamwork creates a good vibe on the floor; it creates bonds and rapport, and makes them happier at work,\u201d says Jenny.  \u201cAnd when you have a team that is happy and healthy, that translates to our patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6NE: An orthopedic unit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a gratitude board right as you enter the unit,\u201d says Maeghn Green, Clinical Care Leader on 6NE. \u201cIf one of our colleagues, or our whole team, gets nominated for an award, that\u2019s where we put it.  We also have a \u2018kudos\u2019 wall close to the nursing station.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo when patients or colleagues want to give positive feedback, they can write their message and put it on the board for everyone to see,\u201d says Kim Jemmott, Clinical Manager of the unit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Kudo
A few of the kudos on the 6NE kudo board.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As leaders, Maeghn and Kim believe it is important not just to say\u2014but to display\u2014gratitude toward teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMorale has been low for the past three years during the pandemic,\u201d Maeghan explains. \u201cDepending on the day, some of our nurses would be asked to help out on other units in order to keep staffing balanced, which put a strain on everyone.  We wanted each person to know that they matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you feel appreciated, you come to work happier, and you want to go the extra mile,\u201d says Kim. \u201cYou feel like you have a purpose, and when you walk on to the unit and see the gratitude board, it creates a positive mindset for each individual and for the team.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7W: A surgery recovery unit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis unit is a family,\u201d says Ginette Saumure, Clinical Manager of 7W.  \u201cWe want to make sure that each member knows that they have an important purpose and feels like they belong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep that family united, the team chooses small acts of support rather than grand team-building events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty incredible that no matter how difficult things got with the pandemic, our teamwork never waivered,\u201d says Tiffany Phillips, Clinical Care Leader on the unit. \u201cWhenever there\u2019s an emergency, everybody gets up and supports that nurse.  If one nurse has been called to four different areas, another person on the team will help out.  Nobody is left unsupported.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that sense of family extends beyond the nurses to the personal care assistants, clerks, physiotherapist, social worker, occupational therapist, clinical educator and physicians\u2014and to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery week we get compliments from patients,\u201d says Ginette. \u201cThey know that when they call, someone will check on them.  They feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chemotherapy Treatment Unit, General Campus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nurses<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery month we celebrate birthdays with homemade cupcakes, and the same kind of thing goes for retirements, baby showers and wedding showers, too,\u201d says Natalie Smith, Clinical Care Manager for the unit.  \u201cThis Easter, we put on bunny ears, put up decorations and had an easter egg hunt.  Sometimes everyone will play Bingo throughout the day between treating patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they play an extra-special game during Nursing Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe play \u2018Hide Florence Nightingale,\u2019\u201d she explains.  \u201cSomeone will print off a picture of Florence and hide it somewhere on the unit.  It\u2019s hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That enthusiasm for one another translates into enthusiasm for other parts of their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of the nurses want to do quality improvement projects to improve things for each other and the patients on the unit,\u201d Natalie explains. \u201cIt\u2019s such a positive feedback cycle. Nurses are motivated to provide excellent care to patients, and patients are so appreciative of the care they receive, which gives the nurses the motivation to keep going and provide excellent care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to all the nurses at The Ottawa Hospital, and happy Nursing Week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They might not grow playoff beards or dump Gatorade on their managers\u2019 heads after a big win, but our nurses take teamwork just as seriously as professional athletes. Learn how six of our award-nominated nursing teams stay united and ready to face any challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":76662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[433,166,404],"class_list":["post-76661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-tomorrows","tag-celebrate-our-staff","tag-staff-experience","tag-working-together"],"acf":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}