With 12 hours of work behind them or 12 hours still ahead, a group of ED staff carved out time on December 4 to discuss what’s working, what’s not, and bring their valuable ideas, insights, and compassion for the people they serve to the table.
Here are some* high-level comments that we heard:
- To be world class we need more in-person engagement between senior leadership and the frontline so that senior leaders can see and better understand what’s happening for staff, and frontline staff can better understand/know what the big vision is that’s driving the organization. There’s more value to these exchanges happening face-to-face.
- Recruitment is important – but we also need to build on and invest in the people that are here.
- Work enhances life — not the other way around. We need to change the traditional approach. Give people the hours they need and they will stay.
- Burnout is an issue. Overtime is almost the same as sick time. Staff work overtime because they want to support the department, but then they’re burnt out and get sick. It creates a cycle.
- St. Paul’s is the only hospital with social justice as our mandate. It’s pretty unique. It’s why I chose to apply to and work at this hospital.
- When I worked overseas, the organization gave everyone who worked in the city an extra $200-pounds /month because it was so expensive to work there. Vancouver is getting to that point, too. The stipend didn’t cover expenses but the gesture made a difference.
- We need to do more advertising on social media – I see ads for Fraser all across my social media. Take advantage of where people already are.
- Developing our own robust debriefing system would be beneficial. Right now, following a traumatic event, it’s actually Victims Services with VPD that get brought in.
- We need someone with addictions medicine training on the floor 24/7. We constantly have patients to refer but have to keep people in the ED overnight until the RAAC opens the next morning.
- In 7 years, the DTES might not exist as we currently know it — how will that impact our special populations? How are we keeping our eyes on the next thing?
- SafeRide only runs until 2am and then our patients have nowhere to go. We need more wraparound systems to support these patients — otherwise they leave, and they’re back at the ED that next night.
- What is in place to support our staff’s mental health and wellness, like a gym? Is there a plan for this for the new hospital?
- What about a satellite pharmacy in the ED?
- What’s the plan to get through the next 7 years until we move, infrastructure-wise?
- We need to better connect emergency care to what’s happening in addictions research. To be aware of new techniques and findings that are being used to care for our patents with substance-use disorder would innovate what we’re currently doing. We could be at the forefront of this – people already want to copy our ABSU [Adult Behavioural Stabilization Unit] model.
* Please note: this is a high-level summary; all sentiments discussed were fully captured by facilitator Josephine Jung, corporate director, Strategic Management.
This recent session with ED staff is part of a series of facilitated engagement sessions across PHC where employees, patients, residents, family members, clinicians, researchers and volunteers are invited to weigh in on the creation of a new 7-year strategic plan (2019 – 2026) for the organization.
Do you have ideas that you’d like to contribute to our pursuit of world class? Tell us online until December 31st! https://bloomprovidencehealthcare.org/
Registering to join the conversation online also gets your name added for a huge prize draw happening the week of December 10. Don’t miss out on your chance to win a dinner with Fiona, an Amazon Echo, an espresso maker and so much more! See what’s up for grabs.