I am writing in strong support of Ms. Bonnie Kissick Nurse for Nursing Hero award 2024. Bonnie was the nurse manager at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Ophthalmology and ENT Operating room in Edmonton, Canada until her retirement one week ago. Bonnie is the most exceptional patient advocate with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. I am an ophthalmologist and retina sub specialist based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. I have been in practice for 20 years and throughout this time Bonnie Kissick led our operating room as head nurse manager. Without question I believe the Royal Alexandra ..read more

I have been inspired, encouraged, and empowered by fellow nurse Mark Anthony Gravoso. He is not only my colleague in nursing but a great leader who truly cares for his members. Mark has 16 years of clinical nursing experience from the Philippines, Abu Dhabi UAE and Canada. He is an internationally educated nurse (IEN) and is currently working as an RN in General Internal Medicine at Toronto General Hospital (UHN) and on the Vascular Access Team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He has completed his Clinical Educator Certificate from the Michener Institute of Education at UHN, is the Presid ..read more

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. An estimated two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and about one in four will die from cancer. In 2023, the most recent statistics we have, it was expected that 239,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer and 86,700 will die from the disease. This is why it was so surprising that a February World Health Organization (WHO) report on cancer went largely unnoticed and unremarked upon. The report predicts a staggering global increase in cancer cases of 77 per cent by 2050.  What’s Canada doing to prepare ..read more

New research examining the characteristics of physicians with the largest share of patients unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 may help increase vaccination rates going forward. The study, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), found that family physicians in Ontario with the largest percentage of unvaccinated patients generally served patients living in marginalized neighbourhoods and had less support in their practices. Researchers analyzed linked data on 9060 family physicians with more than 10 million enrolled patients and calculated the percentage of patients unvaccinated ..read more

First Nations patients in Alberta leave emergency departments (EDs) without completing treatment more often than comparable non–First Nations patients, due in part to anti-Indigenous racism expressed by providers, found new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Higher proportions of incomplete ED care for First Nations patients compared with non–First Nations patients occurred even in cases of serious diagnosis, and were found across all parts of Alberta. Provincially, 6.8% of First Nations visits end without completing care, compared with 3.7% of non–First Nations ..read more

Premature deaths related to opioids doubled between 2019 and 2021 across Canada, with more than 1 in 4 deaths among young adults aged 20-39 years attributable to opioids, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Opioid-related deaths have continued to increase over the past decade across Canada, with 6222 deaths occurring in 2021. This trend worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the scale and rapidity of increases varied across provinces and territories. These changes have been attributed primarily to the unregulated drug supply, which becam ..read more

Chronic back pain affects nearly eight million Canadians and is a condition that can become quite debilitating. For Dave Myen, a clinical neuroscience patient at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), chronic back pain led to sciatica in his right leg, and extreme pain in his lower back.  “It was very debilitating, to the point that the shooting pain in my right leg caused me to stumble and fall,” explains Myen. “It was difficult to live with and started to negatively affect my day-to-day life.”  After many visits with his family doctor, chiropractors, and massage therapists, Myen tur ..read more

A year-old pilot project at St. Paul’s Hospital to track unnecessary use of preventative blood thinners in hospital patients has seen a decline in use by 53 per cent. The Anticoagulation Stewardship Program (ACSP) is the first in British Columbia and Canada to focus on these preventative blood thinners, known as heparin medications, with a view to reducing inappropriate use. By extension, the ACSP also aimed to decrease associated drug costs, negative health effects on patients, and nursing workloads.  Pilot exceeds goals The pilot, a collaboration with thrombosis specialists and Providen ..read more

Food is more than just sustenance, it is a powerful tool for healing, a source of comfort and a method of connection. Despite its centrality to the patient experience, hospital food systems have historically taken a short-term view of food and been constrained by external pressures. At the time of hospital admission, an alarming 45 per cent of people across Canada are at risk of malnutrition due to illness and injury. Malnutrition contributes to poor patient outcomes and extended hospital stays. Prioritizing providing appealing, nutrient-dense meals to patients not only accelerates their recov ..read more

Like many parents, Diana Drake updates social media frequently with photos of her daughter, Ryan, who is almost one year old. From a trip to Disney World to her first steps, there’s lots to celebrate. The photos are particularly poignant as, just a few years ago, Diana didn’t think a pregnancy was possible after an ATV accident. “I broke my back in two places and was paralyzed,” says Diana. “I was worried my lifelong dream to become a parent wasn’t possible.” Last year, Diana did become pregnant, and received care from Sunnybrook’s Accessible Care Pregnancy Clinic. Now, experts from the clinic ..read more