Ride the Centennial building elevators up to the fourth floor, turn right and you’ll find the Transitional Care Unit. These days, lots of little changes at “TCU” are having a big impact - on patients, staff and other areas of the QEII. A facelift has come with a lot of teamwork, but at little to no cost. And behind the scenes, a less visible shift is occurring…
Photo Essay: Small Changes Having a Big Impact on Transitional Care Unit
Take a look at how lots of little changes at “TCU” are having a big impact - on patients, staff and other areas of the QEII.
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Small changes having a big impact on TCU
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The unit gets a welcomed facelift
Many hands have worked to de-clutter patient rooms, the lounge and staff spaces. Walls have been patched and painted in colours selected by staff. Housekeeping has adapted their schedule to meet cleaning needs and has sent old, abandoned equipment and furniture elsewhere. Air quality has improved with less clutter and dust and the addition of a cooling fan. Families once complained about noise levels, but with freed up space now designated for staff work stations, hallways are a lot quieter.
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Part of the team
Left to right: April Solomon, housekeeping and Donnie Whittle, manager, housekeeping
“Throughout the unit, we stripped and waxed the floors and cleaned and painted the walls,” says Donnie Whittle, housekeeping manager. “We have a new weekly floor care schedule and we are seeing better results since we’ve moved out all of the old furniture and materials. Most importantly, when our housekeeping staff feels like part of the team, they take more pride in their work.”. “With dedicated staff and team work, no goal is unachievable,” adds housekeeping supervisor Sabrina Kelsey.
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Meet the multidisciplinary care team
Left to right: Ann Nelson (Physiotherapist), Alexis Goth (Physician), Micki Murphy (RN), Dan Watson (LPN), Roz Wilmott (Occupational Therapist), Katie Downey (Recreation Therapist), Heather Currie (Social Worker), Dawn Talbot (Continuing Care Coordinator).
For years, TCU has cared for frail seniors waiting for a nursing home bed to free up. While they waited, often for many months, the unit’s multi-disciplinary team of physicians, nurses, OTs, PTs, recreation therapists, social workers, continuing care coordinators, CCAs and dieticians would work together to prepare them for the transition to Long Term Care.
Today, the team is re-evaluating a patient’s care plan during their stay to ensure it is the most appropriate, and they are exploring more discharge options. “Home is now a more appropriate option for some of our patients,” says Lindi Barkhouse, health services manager.
With an increase in home care and community supports, more patients are returning home instead of waiting in hospital. “Every day the team asks what does Mr. Smith need to go home, either with or without private and public resources?” This Home First philosophy is helping to improve hospital bed flow, freeing up hospital beds for those who need them most. -
Caring for patients like Regina
Regina has been in TCU for a few weeks. Once her mobility improves, she and her family and health care team will decide the best place for her to live. Some TCU patients are transitioning home, others to a nursing home or to rehab, while others are palliative and end of life. While their situations may vary, all of them are making big changes in their lives and TCU staff is skilled in developing medical and life care plans with them and their families.
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Taking pride in their work
Unit clerk Rosalie Collier greets visitors with a warm smile. What hasn’t changed is how passionate staff is about caring for their patients. Barkhouse says having dedicated staff makes change a lot easier.
“I believe there are misconceptions about what TCU is all about and what it’s like to work here,” confesses charge nurse SheryllJane, who just came on board a few months ago. “There’s great team effort and it’s rewarding to work with this special group of patients.”“I worked many years on units where patients would stay two or three days,” says unit aide Debu Roy. “Patients here stay longer than just a few days, so it gives us time to get very attached to them.”
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Improving Quality & Patient Care
Once stored in old bureaus that lined the corridors, infection control materials are now housed in wall units. Under the leadership of the unit’s two charge nurses, Sheryll Jane Downie and Micki Murphy, the unit has a new protocol for bowel care, a new medication reconciliation system, improved communication amongst staff and better handoffs during shifts change.
“We’re improving patient care because we’re using better communications tools that help us all get the latest update and information on each patient, seven days a week,” says Murphy.