Our People priority was established as part of Providence’s Mission: Forward strategic plan to inspire people and teams, so that we can attract the best and brightest and support them to flourish. The Working Well series aims to profile PHC staff and medical staff who are living wellness at work. By sharing how your colleagues embrace wellness at work, we hope that this series is just one of the ways you feel supported to flourish at Providence. Because the better we feel at work, the better we are able to care for others.
This week, in advance of Self Care Day on July 24, Stef MacLeod, PCM for 5A, 5B, Cardiac Ambulatory Clinics, Echo Lab, and Heart Centre, shares a story to convey her wellness tip.
In January 2021, the Heart Centre had a significant COVID-19 outbreak. I was managing both the outbreak on 5A and 5B, and continuing service of our provincial program.
I wanted to support the staff, and so I came to work on the unit every day. I was working all waking hours of the day and getting really tired, both physically and emotionally.
At the same time, my father was dying in Calgary.
My mom set up an iPad and I would FaceTime with him every day, watching him deteriorate in the nursing home. He would ask me to come and I would lie and say I was, and then hang up and cry.
The members of my team saw what I was going through and one of the nurses, Pete McLaren, told me to go to Calgary to be with my family.
He said, “I know that if one of us were going through this, there’s no question that you would support us to go. We will be fine without you.”
I booked the next flight out and got to be with my dad for the last hour of his life. I will forever be grateful to Pete for that.
He reminded me that I work in a team that supports me as much as I support them and that it’s ok to be as kind to myself as I am to others.
From left to right: Nigel (Stef’s son), Po (Stef’s mother), Felix (Stef’s father).
Providing the best care to the people we serve is dependent on our own health and wellness. We are working to deliver a comprehensive Staff and Medical Staff Wellness Action Plan, to help us create a healthy and safe work environment where everyone can flourish. If you are looking for wellness resources currently available, please refer to this one-pager. If you have a wellness idea that could make a big difference to you and your colleagues, please send it to Ideas: Forward. If you have questions about this plan or feedback on wellness at PHC, please be in touch: missionforward@providencehealth.bc.ca.
