Northern NursingAt [a] High Level

Nightingale’s LegacyCLPNA Launches New Brand

Silent SignalsA Revealing Look at Body Language

Chart SmartA Legal Perspective

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Volume 22 Issue 2Summer 2008Care is a quarterly publication and is the official publication of the College ofLicensed Practical Nurses of Alberta.Reprint/copy of any article requires prior consent of the Editor of Care magazine.Editor - T. BatemanSigned articles represent the views of theauthor and not necessarily those of theCLPNA.The editor has final discretion regarding the acceptance of notices, courses or articles and the right to edit any material.Publication does not constitute CLPNAendorsement of, or assumption of liabilityfor, any claims made in advertisements.SubscriptionAutomatic for CLPNA members.$21.00 for non-members.

CLPNA Council

PresidentRuth Wold

District 1 (RHA Regions 1, 2)Glen Herbst

District 2 (RHA Region 3)Donna Adams

District 3 (RHA Regions 4, 5)Vice PresidentBonnie Stickney

District 4 (RHA Region 6)Peter Brown

District 5 (RHA Region 7)Jenette Lappenbush

District 6 (RHA Region 8)Kristina Maidment

District 7 (RHA Region 9)Hugh Pedersen

Public MembersPeter Bidlock / Ted Langford

Robert Mitchell To contact Council members please

call the CLPNA office and your message will be forwarded to them.

Staff

Linda StangerExecutive Director / Registrar

linda@clpna.com

Tamara RichterDirector of Operationstamara@clpna.com

Teresa BatemanDirector of Professional Practice

teresa@clpna.com

Sharlene Standing Director of Regulatory Services

sharlene@clpna.com

Linda Findlay Practice Consultant

lindafindlay@clpna.com

CLPNA Regular Office Hours

Monday to Friday8:30am to 4:30pm

Closed in recognition of statutory holidays:

Canada DayJuly 1, 2008

Civic HolidayAugust 4, 2008

Labour DaySeptember 1, 2008

The CLPNA website, www.clpna.com, hostsa public registry of Licensed Practical Nursesin Alberta. Following the Health Professions

Act (HPA) and the guidelines of the PersonalInformation Protection Act (PIPA),

the on-line registry can be accessed by thepublic and does not compromise personalinformation of our membership. Available

information includes the member’s registration number, name, practice permit

expiry date, specialties and restrictions.Employers may validate registration at any time

without having to contact the CLPNA.

We Are Moving!The CLPNA office is

moving in June, 2008.

See page 6 for current information.

OUR MANDATEThe College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta is mandated through theHealth Professions Act, the Licensed Practical Nurses Profession Regulation,

the Bylaws, and the Standards of Practice to regulate the profession of Practical Nursing in a manner that protects and serves the public.

To fulfill this mandate, the College has identified four primary areas of responsibility: Regulation, Education, Advocacy and Leadership. Each area has established priority outcomes which are dynamic

and will likely evolve and change.

OUR MISSIONTo lead and regulate the profession in a manner that protects and

serves the public through excellence in Practical Nursing.

OUR VISIONLicensed Practical Nurses are a nurse of choice, trusted partner and

a valued professional in the healthcare system.

The CLPNA embraces change that serves the best interests of the public, the profession and a quality healthcare system.

By 2012 the CLPNA expects:

• To be a full partner in all decisions that affect the profession

• LPNs to embrace and fully exploit their professional scope of practice and positively impact the nursing culture

• LPNs actively involved in planning and decision making within the profession and the healthcare system

• LPNs to assume leadership and management roles provincial, nationally and internationally within the profession and the healthcare system

• An increase in LPN registrations to 12,000 by 2012

• LPNs to actively promote and support the profession

• Employers fully utilizing LPNs in every area of practice

• The scope of practice to evolve in response to the unique and changing demands of the healthcare system

CLPNAPublic Registry

~ Revised December 2007 ~

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It has been a challenging, yetrewarding journey and I willalways be grateful for the oppor-tunities I have been given to growprofessionally and personally. Ithas truly been an honor to repre-sent the CLPNA both provinciallyand nationally.

The CLPNA has seen rewardinggrowth and progress for ourProfession during the past fouryears with key accomplishmentssuch as the implementation of theLPN diploma; increased emergingopportunities for LPN practice;the establishment of theF r e d r i c k s o n / M a c G r e g o rEducation Foundation for postbasic education; the revision ofthe Code of Ethics and Standardsof Practice, two of our founda-tional documents; the completionof a membership survey; advocat-ing for and receiving increasededucational seats and the avail-ability of post basic education inareas such as mental health andleadership.

We must always be mindful that thereare challenges and opportunities aheadof us. The issues of health professionalshortages, recruitment and retention, andutilization of LPN’s to full scope of prac-tice will continue to be key areas of focusfor the CLPNA. I am confident that theCLPNA Council will continue to becommitted to advancing our Professionwith a key focus on full utilization, sothat all Licensed Practical Nurses areable to practice to the full extent of theirknowledge and skill. The key areas ofregulation, education, advocacy, andleadership will continue to be areas ofpriority for the College, working togeth-er with government, stakeholders andother health professionals. The currentstrategic plan of the CLPNA will contin-ue to provide the strong framework anddirection of the College, ensuring public

Presidents Farewell Message

safety in the delivery of quality healthservices.

Although I am leaving Council I willcontinue to be an active and involvedmember of the CLPNA. I am proud tobe a Licensed Practical Nurse and I willcontinue to do my best to ensure that thesignificant contributions of LPN’s in thedelivery of quality health services inAlberta are better understood and valuedat the practice level.

I want to express my sincere gratitudeand appreciation to my colleagues onCouncil, Linda Stanger, ExecutiveDirector/Registrar and the CLPNA officestaff for their support, encouragementand friendship over the past four years. Ialso want to thank my employer theDavid Thompson Health Region and inparticular the Three Hills Health Centre

and my colleagues there, whosesupport and encouragementallowed me to fulfill this commit-ment to my Profession.

I wish the very best to the ongoingCLPNA Council as together theycontinue to represent the LicensedPractical Nurses of Alberta; shapingLPN practice for the betterment ofhealth care in Alberta and for thegood of the Profession, by regulat-ing and leading the Profession in amanner that protects and serves thepublic through excellence inPractical Nursing.

I trust that each one of you as regis-trants of the CLPNA embrace thedirection of our Profession and takeownership of the Professional roleyou have making a significant dif-ference and contribution in thedelivery of health care services inAlberta. I leave you with a chal-lenge to embrace your professionalscope of practice and positivelyimpact the nursing culture in yourplace of employment. Recognize

the value and worth of your LPN knowl-edge and abilities because you do make adifference in the individuals entrustedinto your care.

Kind regards,Ruth Wold, President

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It seems somewhat surreal that my term as President of the College of Licensed PracticalNurses of Alberta is drawing to a close. It has been an incredible privilege to serve as yourPresident for the past four years.

Ruth Wold, President

Proudly Wear your LPN Pin

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The world remembers Florence Nightingale bythe light of a Grecian lamp deep in the night – asymbol of a profound spirit of determination,

dedication, and leadership.

150 years later, profound change is taking place inthe health system. A perfect storm has hit Alberta’shealth system with extreme demands – a rapid paceof population growth, labour force shortages, andinfrastructure that can’t keep up with demand. Theseexist amidst a new reality – an aging population thatwill have long-term impact on the very structure andoperation of the health system.

The CLPNA represents a proud profession with a 60-year histo-ry, but more aggressive marketing is required so that the CLPNAcan effectively advocate for positive change, build the strength ofthe profession, and raise awareness of the profession with thepublic, other health professionals, and key stakeholders such asgovernment. This work begins with what the CLPNA identified asa need for a strong, progressive and dynamic brand to representthe profession’s collective voice.

This is no small task because we have big ambitions.

First we need - a logo that strongly reflects our values and ouraspirations, and second – marketing of the LPN primarily througheducation and awareness to generate common understanding ofour role and value, and achieve strategic goals the CLPNA has set.

CLPNA hired a consultant and started a re-branding process inNovember 2007 with a member survey. 438 responses indicateour strengths are that we are well-trained, caring, and profession-al. Many stated they have chosen the profession for its ability to

make a difference and its direct contact with people. KeywordsLPNs used to symbolize our profession that should be reflectedin our brand are caring, skilled, professional nurses.

The new logo has two key components: First, a modernization ofFlorence’s lamp conveys the humanity and connectivity to peoplethat sets LPNs apart. Second, a modern, clean and vibrant font,colour, and style convey the skilled and professional core of theLPN profession. The CLPNA acronym is gone, replaced by theuse of our full name. Making the word “nurse” more prominent ishelpful to the cause of raising awareness of the LPN professionwith the general public and building off common positive percep-tion associated with the word “nurse”.

We now have a dynamic, modern, and progressive logo. But anew logo is only the tip of the iceberg – only the end of a begin-ning of what we aspire to do to raise the profile of LPNs, haveLPNs well utilized, have government, other health professionals,and the public understand, respect, and embrace the LPNs’ rolein the health system, and - in the end - nurture strength of pridein, and commitment to the profession.

The unique strength of our profession is that while the complexi-ty and the challenge have increased, the fundamental connectivi-ty to people has not. We are the people’s nurses. We are menand women. Young and wise with age. Multicultural. We arehands-on care providers. We are bedside caregivers. We have aunique perspective because we see health care through theeyes of those who need it – the vulnerable, the afraid, the sick.We feel them in us – uniquely. We are healers on the mosthuman of terms – calling upon a well-spring of skills to providecomfort and reassurance. Crossing the chasm of fear with a sim-ple hand for the patient to hold. We are inspired and inspiring.Well educated. Highly skilled. Compassionate.

We harbour the spirit of the lamp. We carry the torch…that is built from our past toward a new future.

CLPNA Launches New Brand

Spring Conference is behind us foranother year, and thanks to a greatnumber of folks this year’s eventwas an overwhelming success.The Marriott River Cree Resortwent out of their way to create theperfect venue. Participation bymembers, students and others wasat an all time high!

The speakers were informative and moti-vational and our growing list of dedicat-ed sponsors demonstrates exceptionalsupport for the continuing educationneeds of this profession. Working withour partners from Oomph Events andbuilding on this year’s success, planningis already underway for SpringConference, April 15-17, 2009 inCalgary. We look forward to seeing youthere!

From the Member Survey conducted in2007, one of the things LPNs told us wasthat the profession is not well understood;and that we need to better inform thepublic and others of the role of the LPN.We heard you and we are taking action.

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The first step in the process involved arebranding initiative. The timing is per-fect – a rapidly changing health care sys-tem, an evolving profession, and nursesfeeling undervalued and underutilizedwhile continuing to demonstrate a com-passionate heart, a caring soul, and skil-ful application of nursing science. Theoutcome – a new logo – unveiled byPresident Ruth Wold at SpringConference; a new tag line, “Competent,Committed Care”, with its foundation inthe compassionate heart, the caring soul,and the skilled professional that is theLPN. And joining the tagline is the state-ment – “LPNs - Professional Nurses”.

During Nurses Week, the College spon-sored a radio ad campaign focusing on“LPNs – Professional Nurses, ProvidingCompetent Committed Care.” These adsaired on eight stations throughout theprovince. In addition, posters with thesame theme were distributed to over ninehundred Alberta employers. Both theradio ad and the poster can be viewed atwww.clpna.com by clicking on the logo“Play Radio Ad”.

You will notice changes to the layoutand design in this issue of our newCARE magazine. As part of our market-ing plan there is a move to increase inter-est and broaden our readership with theintended outcome of building on theawareness and understanding of theProfession. These are a few of the initia-tives we have undertaken. There will bemore.

At the CLPNA, we hear daily from nurs-es experiencing the stresses of an acutenursing shortage. It is no secret, the sys-tem needs help! Adding more educationseats to train Albertans, recruiting inter-nationally educated nurses, and address-ing retention issues in the employmentsetting are all critical approaches toaddressing our nursing shortage inAlberta.

Greetings from the Executive Director

The CLPNA is pleased to partner in aninitiative with Capital Health andNorQuest College involving the activerecruitment and integration of Philippinenurses. Almost seventy nurses recentlymet the licensing requirement withCLPNA and are working throughout theCapital Health Region. These nurses arehighly skilled, very happy to be inAlberta, and are already making a differ-ence in the system. Please join us inextending a warm welcome to Albertaand to our Profession.

The College will soon undergo anothertransition. Ruth Wold, who has been ourPresident over the past four years, willcomplete her term this summer. Ruthworks tirelessly, often going the extramile, and has been an exceptionalambassador for the College and theProfession in Alberta and Canada. It isan honour and a pleasure working withher in fulfilling the mandate of theCollege. A new President will beannounced following the Council meet-ing in June.

Nurses’ Week – May 12 – 18, 2008, pro-vided a great opportunity for nurses tocelebrate the wonderful Profession wehave chosen. Alberta’s three NursingProfessions were introduced in theLegislature during Nurses’ Week as ourelected officials took a moment to honourand celebrate the contribution by nursingto the health of Albertans. HopefullyNurses’ Week provided a chance to cometogether with your colleagues to share inthe recognition of those special gifts ofeach member of the team. And mostimportantly I hope it was a time of per-sonal affirmation – knowing that as aProfessional Nurse each of you trulymakes a difference.

With warm regards,

Linda StangerExecutive Director

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COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

2008 CLPNA Council

Meeting Dates: February 14 & 15, 2008

• Meyers Norris Penny presented the 2007 Audit Report to Council which was approved.

• Nomination packages for the 2008 CLPNA Council Elections must be submitted to the CLPNA office before May 31, 2008. Districts 1, 3 and 5 are up for election.

• Revisions to the Bylaws were presented to Council and were approved.

• Council viewed a presentation by Lloyd Sadd Insurance.

• Sheila Green was appointed as Chairperson of the Hearing Tribunal to complete the term ending December 31, 2008.

• Effective September 2008, CPNRE graduation fees will be increased to $600 and re-write fees to $270.

Meeting Dates: April 9, 2008

• The Joint Statement on Family Violence was presented to Council and was approved.

L to Right, Back - Peter Brown, Peter Bidlock, Linda Stanger, Ruth Wold, Hugh Pedersen, Kristina Maidment.L to Right, Seated - Glen Herbst, Bonnie Stickney, Jennette Lappenbush, Robert Mitchell, Donna Adams

Missing - Ted Langford

The 1963 LPN Reunion Committee is hosting a Reunion for all LPNs whograduated from the Calgary School for

Nursing Aides prior to 1980

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008

Place: Lethbridge Seniors Centre 500-11 St. South, Lethbridge, AB

Time: Registration and Coffee at 10:00 amCost: $35.00 (includes an evening banquet)

Registration Deadline: June 30, 2008

For more information contact:Gracemary Holthe 403-328-7008 or

gholthe2@hotmail.com

Reunion Notice

The CLPNA office is moving to St. Albert Trail Place, 13163-146 Street, Edmonton, Alberta

and will be operational on July 2, 2008.

Phone and fax numbers will remain unchanged.

Proposed Move Schedule

June 25Regular Office Hours

June 26, 27, 30 Office Closed for Move

July 2, 2008Regular Office Hours

On the Move

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RESULTS AND NEXT STEPSOlder Adult Physical Activity in Rural Alberta: What you need to knowThe Rural Route to Active Aging was a project led by the AlbertaCentre for Active Living through funding from the Alberta Sport,Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation. The goal of the project wasto improve the health of rural Albertans through education, facilitatingcommunity action and promoting lifelong physical activity.

Part of the project included the development of new resources for deci-sion makers, community leaders and older adults in rural and remoteareas of Alberta. Both resources focus on community physical activitypromotion and building capacity for physical activity opportunities foradults (55 to 75) in rural areas.

The guide is for older adults who want to stay active as they age. It hasinformation about the benefits of activity, how to get started, and whatto do, plus ideas for making a rural community more activity friendly.

The website for practitioners and decision makers was designed to bea key source for information about lifelong physical activity in ruralcommunities. The website:• presents top issues that affect participation in active living• provides information to help build a case for supporting

active living projects• shares success stories from communities around Alberta• has ideas for reaching older adults in the community.

Visit the new website and the guide atwww.centre4activeliving.ca/olderadults/rural

What’s Next?Healthy older adults contribute to healthy rural communities. Howcommunities support older adults to engage in active, healthy lifestylesis an issue that is growing in importance and everyone plays a role.

Are you considering what can be done in your community? Do youwant to see positive change happen? Are you unsure of where to startor what to do?

Start at the Rural Route to Active Aging website. The information onthis site can help you to raise awareness and encourage communityleaders to work on building supportive environments for active living.

Are you ready to address a board or council of decision-makers on this issue?

If you need information for your presentation to decision makers inyour community, let us know. We may be able to help.For more infor-mation or support for what you can do in your community contact:

Maria Tan, B.Sc.OT(C), M.Sc.Older Adult Assistant, Alberta Centre for Active LivingTel.: 780-427-7938/E-mail: maria.tan@ualberta.ca

TheRejuvenatingPower of Play

The rejuvenating power of play… ormaybe just the stress relief of hit-ting something?!?! Either way, therewas smiling faces everywhere andcomments of “amazing”, “relaxing”,and “pumped up”! What more coulda drum facilitator ask for?

What am I talking about? The fabu-lous time had by all at the Rhythmsof Play workshop at the CLPNAConference. It was my pleasure toteach such an enthusiastic crowdbasic African rhythms and then letthe crowd run the show by improvis-ing their own rhythms and master-ing all kinds of percussion instru-ments from the “frog” to the ever“popular cowbell”! We even madeenough noise to get us booted outof our first breakout room within 20minutes and re-assigned to thebanquet room! All the signs of anamazing drum session!

The purpose? To allow everyone toplay, and I mean really PLAY! Tohave all the attendees be noisy,boisterous, and to not think of any-thing but pounding their drum for anentire hour. The result? A powerfulreminder of how much more pre-sent everyone felt after taking timeto play and how vital i t is to ahealthy and balanced life, as well asto being an exceptional health careprovider.

Written by Jaime Kessel, Blatant Enthusiasm Expert,

Presenter at CLPNA Spring Conference 2008.

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Most individuals focus only on the verbal partof an encounter, yet during an average 30minute meeting, approximately 800 different

nonverbal messages are exchanged. The entirebody—posture, gait, eye movements, gestures, feet,legs, torso, arms, hands, head, facial expressions, andmannerisms—needs to be analyzed to get the truemeaning of a message. These subtle messages thatare conveyed without words reveal a person’s trueemotions.

History of Body Language

Since man’s appearance on earth, he has communicated with bodylanguage. Body language is a key to the inner psychological andemotional state of an individual. Not surprisingly, research indicatesthat the human body can produce over seven million unique move-ments.

Researchers in the field of body language generally agree that individ-uals use the verbal channel primarily for conveying information, whilethe nonverbal channel negotiates interpersonal attitudes, and in somecases, substitutes for verbal messages. Regardless of culture, wordsand movements occur together with such predictability that a well-trained interrogator should be able to tell what movement a person ismaking by simply listening to their voice.

Three Steps to Increased Nonverbal Reading Power

Reading an individual’s body language is not the only goal in masteringnonverbal communication. Understanding your own body language isof the utmost importance. In 1985, Gerhard Gschwandtner informedthe world of the three stages of awareness and skill that are neces-sary before one becomes competent in nonverbal communication:

Awareness of the Other Person: This stage involves learning thefive major nonverbal communication channels (body angle, face, arms,hands, and legs) and interpreting the listener’s nonverbal signals.Instead of looking for specific movements or postures that indicatethat the client is bored, defensive or angry, a group of gestures fromthe five channels needs to be analyzed. These groups of gestures canindicate whether a person is open and receptive, or whether there areobstacles to the interrogation strategy that warn the questioner toexercise caution. These gesture clusters can alert the negotiator tostop and redirect his approach entirely.

Awareness of Self: Your own nonverbal movements and expres-sions can make or break an encounter. Once you understand yourown nonverbal behavior, and how you use it to interact with clients,you are more aware of your impact on others.

Management of Self and Others: Once absorption of nonverbalskills in self-management and people management is reached, onecan apply the universal change process. Non-awareness, awareness,internalizing, and integration are the four behavioral concepts involvedto reach this stage.

Body language can be conscious or unconscious. Using nonverbalcommunication, a person is visually revealing when he is unsure, needsadditional information, wants a chance to ask questions, or has strongobjections. If a client asks a question and you feel hesitant about howto answer, your body will be the messenger of your uncertainty.

The moment you meet a prospective client, he judges you by what hesees and feels. The process takes less than 10 seconds, but theimpression is permanent. Whether you make a positive impression ornot can literally depend on the silent signals that you send during thisfirst contact.

Inborn, Genetic, or Learned

Research and debate has been conducted to discover whether non-verbal signals are inborn, learned, genetically transferred or acquired insome other way.

Discoveries in this research indicate that some gestures fall into eachcategory. For example, most children are born with the instantaneousability to suck, indicating that this is either inborn or genetic. The smil-ing gestures of children born deaf and blind occur independently oflearning or copying, which means that these must also be inborn ges-tures. When researchers studied the facial expressions of peoplefrom five widely different cultures, they found that each culture usedthe same basic facial gestures to show emotion. This led to the con-clusion that these gestures must be inborn.

We can conclude that much of our basic nonverbal behavior is learnedand the meaning of many movements and gestures culturally deter-mined. When people are happy they smile; when they are sad orangry they frown or grimace. Nodding the head is almost universallyused to indicate ‘yes’ or affirmation. It appears to be a form of headlowering and is probably an inborn gesture, as deaf and blind peoplealso use it. Shaking the head from side to side to indicate “no” is alsouniversal and may well be a gesture that is learned in infancy. Theyoung child who has had enough to eat shakes his head from side toside to stop his parents’ attempt to spoon feed him, and in this way hequickly learns to use the side-to-side head shaking gesture to showdisagreement or a negative attitude.

Body Language?Do You Speak

Mastering the Art of Nonverbal CommunicationBy Jan Hargrave

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Gesture Clusters and Similarities

Similar to any other language, body language consists of words, sen-tences and punctuation. Each gesture is similar to a single word anda word may have several different meanings. It is only when a wordexists in a sentence with other words that an individual can fullyunderstand its significance. Gestures come in sentences and invari-ably tell the truth about a person’s feelings or attitudes.

Incongruence of gestures occurs when an audience observes a speak-er standing behind a lectern with his arms tightly folded across hischest (defensive) and chin down (critical and hostile), while telling themhow receptive and open he is to their ideas. Or, a speaker may attemptto convince the audience of his warm, compassionate approach whilerunning his hands through his hair or tugging at his left ear.

Observations of gesture clusters and congruence of the verbal andnonverbal channels are the keys to accurate interpretation of bodylanguage. In addition to looking for gesture clusters and congruenceof speech and body movements, all gestures should be considered inthe context in which they occur. If, for example, someone is sitting ata bus stop on a chilly winter day with his arms and his legs tightlycrossed and with his chin down, it would most likely mean that he iscold, not defensive. If, however, a person uses these same gestureswhile seated in a negotiation, it could be correctly interpreted asmeaning that the person is negative or defensive about the situation.

Phony Body Language

“Is it possible to forge your own body language?” The general answerto this question is “no” because of the lack of congruence that is likelyto occur in the use of the main gestures, the body’s micro signals andthe spoken words. For example, direct eye contact is associated withhonesty, but when one tells a lie, their micro gestures give them away.

We use the face more often than any other part of the body to coverup lies. We use smiles, ear pulls, eye pulls, nose touches, and winks inan attempt to cover up and distract the listener. It is difficult to fakebody language for a long period of time. Our subconscious mind actsautomatically and independently of our verbal lie, so our body lan-guage gives us away. The term describing this occurrence is “leak-age.” Since it is difficult to fake sincere body language for a long peri-od of time, the body eventually leaks out its true feelings and emo-tions. The moment a person begins to lie his body sends out negativemicro signals. It is these signals that give us our feeling that the per-son is not telling the truth. During the lie, the subconscious mindsends out nervous energy that appears as a gesture that can contra-dict what the person has just said.

Psychologists have long known that some deception is a normal,healthy part of human behavior often starting in children as young asfive or six. In adulthood, most people lie routinely, usually harmlessly,throughout the day. Robert Feldman, a psychologist at the Universityof Massachusetts at Amherst, reveals that the average fib rate is threefor every 10 minutes of conversation.

Signals, Cues, and Symbols

Signals, actions without words, such as a raised eyebrow, jerking ofthe head and pursing of the lips, are movements a person uses tocommunicate needs, desires, and feelings. Signals are a form ofexpressive communication.

A cue is a type of receptive communication used to let someoneknow what is expected of them. An adult might gently pull a child’sarm upward by holding their wrist to cue the child to lift their armduring a dressing routine. A gentleman holds a woman’s coat opento cue her that he is willing to help her put it on. A negotiator letsothers know of their desire to speak by nodding their head threetimes.

Symbols are useful for both receptive and expressive communication.The American flag is a symbol that communicates freedom, integrity,and the spirit of a nation. A Rolls Royce automobile symbolizes anobject that is quite expensive.

Jan Hargrave - Professional Speaker, Distinguished Lecturer, AuthorPresenter at CLPNA Spring Conference 2008

www.janhargrave.com

1. T | 2. T | 3. T | 4. F | 5. T | 6.T | 7. F | 8. T | 9. F | 10. T

Do You Speak Body Language?

Most people are already fluent in the dialect of body language because the subconscious mind is already anexpert. Training to look for more nonverbal messages

involves trusting your intuition to make your impressions moreaccurate. A thorough understanding of body language allowsan individual to be able to modify his own reactions and thus

improve his negotiating skills. Answer true or false to the following questions to determine your level of

fluency in interpreting body language.

1. Your friend has her hands on her hips. She is feeling aggressive?

2. Offering part of your seating bench to a new friend indicates that she is welcome to join you.

3. Mirroring your colleague’s movements and laughing when he does, shows him that the two of you possess a good connection.

4. When interpreting body language, a person should immediately form a conclusion after he observes one gesture.

5 The person who constantly darts his eyes around the room is looking for an escape route.

6. Slightly touching a colleague’s forearm lets him know that you are engaged in his story.

7. A client who runs his hand through his hair is implying that heis confident and is anxious to make a good impression.

8. Crossing your leg towards your client indicates that you wantto include him in your conversation.

9. A negotiating partner who clasps his hands and holds them behind his head is conveying that he is in agreement with what he hears.

10. A slow walker appears more confident than a hurried walker.

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Final in a series of letters home from Sgt. Larry Leduc, CD, LPN,

Senior Operating Room Technician during his tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It has now been two months since my return home. With that, I hadsome adjustments to make such as getting used to a family life (moreso the teenagers), traffic, walking on pavement, driving a car at higher

speeds then 10km/hr, no food line-ups, and a washroom dedicated tome! It did not take long for adjusting to the luxury of being home. I didfind myself to be a little snappy and always revved-up in anticipation of acall. The sound of a pager still brings me back overseas, and then I thinkback and smile with the delight of being home.

When we left Afghanistan we had a “decompression” leave inCyprus in the eastern part of the Mediterranean for five days wherewe had briefings and were allowed to enjoy restaurant food. Thisalso allowed us time to loosen-up and talk with friends about thingswe saw and did. The best part of this leave was to RELAX!

After several hours on the plane from Cyprus we knew we hadarrived in Canadian air space when we were escorted by twoCF18’s on our way to offload personnel in Valcartier, Quebec. Thatwas definitely a welcome home feeling. We then flew to Trenton, Ontario, and onward toEdmonton where we were greeted by military personnel and loaded onto a bus that would arrive at4:00 a.m. at the Edmonton Garrison to see our families.

As with all tours, we have lots of leave to use up allowing us to spend time with family and friendsand reminiscing old war stories. I tell everyone how very rewarding my tour was and that my expe-rience there will never be forgotten.

Effective May 11th, 2008, I will be retiring from the military after serving 24.4 years. I will be takinga position at the University Hospital working in the Cardiology Department. Although I am out ofthe Regular Force, I have signed onto the Primary Reserve List in case they would require my spe-cialty on future missions.

As this is my final article, I would like to personally thank the College and all its members for yourcontinued support. During the CLPNA Spring Conference in Edmonton in April, I presented aplaque to the College as a gesture of thanks, to be displayed for all to see and remember that LPNshave a place in many fields including the ARMY!

Larry Leduc CD (ret’d), LPN

Messages Home

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Get it in Writing!A Legal Perspective on Charting…

It is usually when a patient’s health record goes before a courtthat healthcare professionals realize the importance of every singleword, acronym, and description set out in that chart. As my pre-

sentation at the CLPNA 2008 Spring Conference hoped to convey,this is likely because as healthcare providers, we (appropriately)focus on our charting serving the function of better continuity ofcare. As we discussed, however, charting serves other key functions.The functions of charting can be categorized as follows: continuity ofcare, evaluation of care, and risk management.

In the continuity of care category, consistency is the golden rule.That is, not only ought the language we use to chart be consistent,but also how we use the chart and organize information withinshould be consistent. This is particularly important in an age wherewe use both paper records and electronic systems to organize infor-mation. The more consistent our language and use of charts is, themore likely we are to use the chart more effectively and provide bet-ter continuity of care. As studies show, patients and families areinclined to become suspicious (and potentially litigious) when infor-mation is perceived to be withheld. In many of these cases, it is nothealthcare professionals’ intention to withhold information, butrather their inability to locate information because information isnot properly organized in the chart or consistently recorded.

Likely to be less apparent, charts are also used for the purpose ofevaluating care. Healthcare systems can operate more effectivelyand efficiently if patient records paint a clear picture of resourcedemands and issues encountered by healthcare professionals whendelivering care. We discussed the importance of making certain achart does not leave any gaps when other forms, such as incidentreports are filled out. These forms, designed to help evaluate care andcreate safer systems, are not intended to replace the ordinary chartingobligations to set out a factual picture of the events that happened,including actions healthcare professionals take to identify and resolveunexpected events.

Last, we discussed how charts are used to manage risk. Given theuniqueness of each healthcare professional’s encounter with theirpatients and each patient’s health status, there can be no prescriptiveagenda as to what to chart. Rather, healthcare professionals mustrely on their professional judgment and asses a situation to determinethe detail and level of charting for that situation. Where red flags areraised for heightened risk, it is good practice to pay particular atten-tion to the related chart entries and ensure, while memory is fresh, allthe relevant facts are included.

In closing, while charting may seem to be a daunting and overly bur-densome aspect of being a healthcare professional, I hoped to con-vey my sincere respect for, and confidence in, LPNs (and otherhealthcare professionals) who contribute so richly to healthcare sys-tems in realizing that dedicated and trusted relationships withpatients are likely the best defence against risk. Individuals in thecaring profession are likely naturally inclined as well as expected byothers, to import compassion and skilful precision into the patientexperience and (consequently) a patient’s chart.

Submitted by Jane Steblecki, Barrister & Soliciter, Field LLP, Presenter at the CLPNA Spring Conference 2008.

Are you Looking to be Inspired at Work?

Imagine being inspired and looking forward to your work each day.Feeling energized and excited about what you do. Being connectedwith your colleagues and knowing that you are making a difference.This is spirit at work and the power is within each of us to create it.

As employees, we can cultivate our spirit at work and be inspiredregardless of what is happening at our workplace. I have workedwith employees to increase their sense of well-being at work, theirjob satisfaction, and commitment without the organization havinganything to do with it. I have also worked with teams to improvemorale and teamwork simply by helping employees foster their spiritat work. Spirit at work leads to wonderful results, first for ourselves,then our patients, and finally, our workplace.

What can you do to foster your spirit at work?

That which you give your attention to grows stronger. To becomeinspired, bring your attention to the following simple, but powerfulpractices. Within a short period of time, you will notice a positive shiftin how you feel about yourself and your work and how others reactto you.

Get to the Heart of What Matters. Being clear about what we arehere for, who we are serving, and the real point of our work con-nects us to what matters.

Be in the Moment. We often miss the gifts of the present: a smile,the warmth of a touch, or the gift of kindness. Pausing and payingattention helps us to be in the moment and to serve patients in away that is meaningful for them.

See Your Work as an Act of Service. Serving others is the path todeeper meaning and fulfillment. What we do is not as important ashow we do it and how we think about our work.

Never Underestimate the Power of Thought. Because our mindcannot tell the difference between a thought and the real thing, ourbodies react to our thoughts as if they are real. Positive thoughtshave been shown to have a positive impact on our health, well-being,and motivation.

Give Thanks Everyday. The ability to appreciate and be gratefulleads to not only feeling good, but doing good. The more grateful weare the happier we are.

Appreciate Yourself. Understanding how we make a differencethrough our work and celebrating our contribution helps us to bemore enthusiastic and inspired.

Refill your Cup. Take time for self-care and rejuvenation. Pursuethe things that hold personal meaning.

Dr. Val Kinjerski is a leading authority on spirit at work and presented atthe CLPNA Spring Conference 2008. She works with individuals to findthe power within and employers to create the conditions that foster spirit atwork. Find out more at: www.kaizensolutions.org.

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In an age of integrated multi-professional health care teams this feature is intended to guide LPN understanding of the other regulated professionals on the team.

Knowing Your Healthcare Team

Occupational therapy is a health profession concerned withpromoting health and well-being through occupation.Occupation includes everything that people do during the

course of everyday life, including the occupations through whichpeople look after themselves, enjoy life, and contribute as mem-bers of society (CAOT). The primary goal of occupational thera-py is to enable people to participate in the occupations which givemeaning and purpose to their lives.

Occupational therapists have a broad education that providesthem with the skills and knowledge to work collaboratively withpeople of all ages and abilities that experience obstacles to partici-pation. These obstacles may result from a change in function(thinking, doing, feeling) because of illness or disability, and/orbarriers in the social, institutional and physical environment(adapted from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists,2004).

How are occupational therapists trained?

The program of study for occupational therapists in Alberta is aMaster of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT). Entry intothe Master program is a four year undergraduate degree. As partof their formal education, occupational therapists begin theircareers with a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinicaleducation and must pass a national certification examination.All occupational therapists in Alberta are licensed by the AlbertaCollege of Occupational Therapists (ACOT) and adhere todefined standards of practice and a code of ethics. Practice per-mits are renewed each year with the College. Occupational thera-pists must maintain and enhance their competency throughouttheir careers through the College’s continuing competence pro-gram that includes mandatory continuing education and profes-sional development.

Unique contribution of occupational therapy

Occupational therapists work to help people whose ability tofunction in everyday living is disrupted by physical illness orinjury, developmental problems, the aging process, mental illnessor emotional problems. Occupational therapists work with clientsto reduce the impact of their health condition on activity and par-ticipation.

There are approximately 1,400 occupational therapists in Albertaworking with clients of all stages and walks of life; individually oras a family, group, organization, community or population.Primary areas of practice include:

The following article has been submitted by the Alberta College of Occupational Tharapists

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

• mental health• neurological and neuromuscular• musculoskeletal• cardiovascular /respiratory• general physical health• vocational rehabilitation• health promotion and wellness• palliative care• client service management • medical legal related• research/education/administration

Primary services within the profession include occupational lifeskills, functional mobility, seating, independent living, assistivetechnology, home care, neurodevelopment treatment, and cogni-tive perceptual therapy. Occupational therapy treatment interven-tions include but are not limited to the following:

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• Improving strength, endurance, quality of movement and self confidence needed for an activity

• Developing skills to cope with anxiety, stress, decreased energy, or a changing health status

• Developing skills to help with memory, attention, organization, perception

• Evaluating, modifying and adapting environments at school, home, or at work

• Problem solving and teaching new ways to do household tasks, hobbies, work activities

• Assisting parents to promote optimal development in children

• Regaining work skills lost due to illness or injury • Maximizing ability following permanent loss or

developmental disability• Preventing injury and promote health and wellness• Promoting a balanced and independent lifestyle

Occupational therapy in action

About 70% of occupational therapists in Alberta work inlong term care, acute care and geriatric settings or in generalor rehabilitative hospitals. You will also find occupationaltherapists in children services and paediatric settings inschools, in mental health facilities, in community care andhome care settings and industrial settings. Occupational ther-apy clinicians are supported by occupational therapyresearchers, occupational therapy managers, and trainingfrom professional educators in occupational therapy.

There is great diversity in the profession. Occupational thera-pists embrace a client-centered approach to working withpeople of all ages, from infancy through midlife to old age, toenable them to face physical, emotional or social barriers.The following examples illustrate the diversity of occupation-al therapy applications:

• using modified Wii gaming system to help regain memory and concentration skills

• developing gradual return-to-work plans for post depression worker

• collaborating with an engineer to adapt a child’s ride-on toy car for a child with cerebral palsy

• helping a group of mental health consumers start a small business

• recommending workplace modifications to reduce back injuries

• collaborating with industrial designers to create new physical aids for active seniors

• researching the impact of narrative therapy on chronic pain

Occupational therapists work in collaboration with otherhealth care professionals. As partners on health care teams,occupational therapists provide a unique contribution torehabilitative care by taking into consideration the environ-ment, social, and emotional aspects of disability as well asthe physical aspects. Their focus is to empower the client toidentify and achieve goals that are important to them.

References:Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), Position Statement onEveryday Occupations and Health, 2003, retrieved from www.caot.ca.

Positive Postby Linda Edgecombe

Positive PostShift or get off the potSimple truths about finding balance and getting a life

According to Linda Duxbury of Carlton University, the issue facingmany organizations is their inability to deal with staff’s desire to findmore balance in their lives. Duxbury has done extensive researchlooking at the amount of bottom line dollars it is costing businessesand it ranks in the billions. When this dire need is not addressed, staffwill arbitrarily take time off via mental health days, unplanned vaca-tion days, and longer stints of time due to stress.

I want to encourage you to look at the following list of questions andjust notice what comes up for you. If you answer yes to more thantwo of the following statements, then I venture to guess that balance,or more specifically, the lack of balance in your life is an issue, atleast worth reflecting on.

How Do You Rank?Would you agree or disagree to the following statements:

• I frequently miss my children’s special events because of my work schedule.

• I often volunteer for stuff and then have to pull out, because I’m overloaded and then feel guilt.

• I feel guilty about many things in my life.• I can’t remember the last time I slept-in and I judge others who

brag about doing it.• I don’t have a sense of purpose for my life or where to even start

looking for one.• I don’t have time to exercise.• Lately I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin.• My responsibilities to work, children, community and partner all

compete for my attention.• I rarely have fun, and resent people who are always laughing.• I feel I am wasting time if I’m not accomplishing something.• I’ve lost touch with my friends.• I find myself putting so much stuff on my “busy plate” just so I

have an out/reason to not have to do most of it. (But I look good while saying yes!)

• I am experiencing low level resentment towards my job, as it’s getting in the way of my life.

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Resources forPreceptors

www.cpep-net.ca

AORTA has a workshop planned for June 21st,2008 at the University of Alberta Hospital.Janice O’Hearn from Minogue Medical Inc.,Vancouver will be in attendance to offer ahands-on workshop with their new roboticequipment. View more info about the robot onwww.intuitivesurgical.com. There will also be asession on the “Stealth Navigation System” andhow it has changed our surgical techniques.More information regarding these workshopswill be e-mailed out to every AORTA memberwhen the details have been finalized.

AORTA’s Annual Conference is being plannedfor September 26th and 27th, 2008 in Calgary.

If you would like more information regardingthese events or on becoming an AORTA member please contact Jeannette Harriott at 780-942-4416.

Here’s the secret to balance: There is NO such thing as work/home life balance!Your life is never 50/50 anything. If you work full time, you will put in more hours“on the job”. Where balance comes into play is when you realize and acknowledgethat you are making a choice to work full time, and you are or are not OK withthat. When we realize that we are in control of the decisions we make for our-selves every day, and that includes the decision to work on our careers, a sense ofpeace and joy settles on us.

So where to from here?

Personal accountability as a new way of living has become very in vogue. It seemswe really desire a life of significance and have not quite figured out where or howto start living that way.

For the past five years, at every presentation I have given I have been almostevangelistic in my desire to get the word out. I know I have always been a goalsetter, but kept falling short in a few areas of my so-called life. I have beenamazed how the Guilt Free Accountability Program I co-wrote has been just that,guilt free. The basic premise is that I email my small group of peers with my week-ly to-do’s, I try and have them move me towards my larger goals for the week andthen we get together for our once a month face-to-face meetings and discusshow it’s all going.

When I started the accountability movement five years ago, I thought I had it allfigured out. But as I have worked towards more goals, more challenges and everincreasing insights, I know it’s “Life’s lessons” that are truly a wonderful process. Ijust sometimes wish I would get “it” faster. What I have found out is that when wemove more on our personal goals, we then go into work with more energy, focusand less resentment towards this crazy thing we all do called WORK.

So here are my final thoughts on accountability. The key to a balanced life is onethat looks at and moves forward on all parts of our lives. But here’s the real key:You will feel as if your life is more balanced when you make most to all of yourdecisions based on YOUR value system. So to do a quick summary, list 10 areasin your life that you value. After reviewing your top 10 values, whittle it down toabout five. For the next week, try and make all of your work and home life deci-sions based on and around your top values. When you make decisions outside ofour value system, you will tend to feel out of sorts, a bit off perhaps. Your gut orintuition is unsettled. It’s that simple and that challenging. So just give it a try forseven days and see how you feel.

And Finally

Life is a physics equation; what you put out there is directly related to what comesback. For example, motivation does not come from me blabbing at you. Motivationcomes from movement. You simply must move on something. That’s wherephysics comes in. Once you move on something, it tends to snowball on you, iner-tia takes over[CIB3], momentum is pushing you forward and, voila, energy goes upand a sense of balance comes over you. I like to call it, “Taking back your life” Wetend to be pretty good at making goals for our careers. Some because we have toand some because we want to, but most executives and staff who I’ve spoken toadmit in private to me that their work goals are really not THEIR goals.

Where in the World do you want to go?

Linda Edgecombe CSP, Presenter at CLPNA Spring Conference 2008Accountability with an Edge“Award Winning Speaker, Writer, Humorist”www.lindaedgecombe.com

Positive Post…continued from page 13

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Inpatient Care• Best practices and inpatient protocols in all inpatient settings • Multidisciplinary teams with enhanced knowledge of stroke

prevention, management and rehabilitation• Telestroke for mentoring and support between sites• Comprehensive discharge protocols

Rehabilitation and Community Reintegration (Pillar 3)

• Implementation of best practices and protocols at each level of care

• Triage tool to ensure appropriate referral to rehabilitation• Standard swallowing screen and dysphasia management

implementation.• Strategies to ensure patient access or awareness of community

supports• Inventory of common resource materials available and template

to assist regions with documentation and collection of community supports

• Education/mentoring strategies to enhance capacity of health care providers across settings and health regions

The APSS Health Care Provider Education Program

The APSS Health Care Provider Education Program focuseson two streams of learning: a core curriculum that providesinter-disciplinary, foundational knowledge and a specialized

curriculum spanning the continuum of stroke care. An online APSSLibrary is proposed to house learning modules (self-study and facil-itated) along with databases and registries for easy access by healthcare providers.

The following learning modules are currently available on the APSSwebsite through the Health Care Provider Education link atwww.strokestrategy.ab.ca:

• Stroke 101: The Basics• Stroke: Effects on the Individual, Family & Society• Functional Impairments of Stroke• Preventing Complications of Stroke• tPA Administration• Hypertension Management• High Risk TIA: Identification & Management

In addition to developing learning modules, the APSS also sponsorspresentations using Telehealth technology. Telehealth technology isan important method of meeting geographic challenges, enhancingclinical relationships, and improving access to practice recommen-dations and learning resources.

For more information regarding the APSS, please go towww.strokestrategy.ab.ca or contact:

Bev Culham or Gayle ThompsonAPSS Project Manager APSS Education Project Managerbculham @ hsf.ab.ca gthompson@dthr.ab.caPhone: (403) 781-1999 Phone: (403) 356-4228Fax: (403) 270-3550 Fax: (403) 358-4342

The Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy (APSS)~ Part 2 ~

Specific Strategies for Stroke Prevention and Management

Each health region has developed a stroke plan to determinethe best approach to the delivery of these major components.In areas where services are unavailable, patients shall be

transferred or linked via telestroke to services in other geographiclocations including other health regions.

Strategies to facilitate access to optimal practice also include accessto physician and staff education/mentoring and clinical consulta-tion through outreach or telestroke. Referral processes to ensurethat individuals access the appropriate services at the right time forfollow-up and ongoing treatment are being implemented.

All components of stroke service delivery in Alberta need to besupported by best practice and evidence-based protocols. APSSPillar Committees and working groups have developed guidelinesand protocols to support optimal and consistent stroke care andprevention in all settings. Best practice guidelines and recommen-dations can be found at the APSS websitewww.strokestrategy.ab.ca. The Canadian Stroke Strategy is alsodeveloping guidelines in a number of key areas that form a founda-tion for the practice in Alberta.

Specific strategies to enhance care across the care continuum are:

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Pillar 1)

• Provincial public awareness campaign (Recognize and React) and other local awareness strategies.

• Education strategies (Family physicians, other HCPs, public) re Screening protocols for lipids, hypertension and other disease and life-style risk factors and appropriate referral to stroke prevention services

• Inventory of common resource materials for primary and secondary prevention (HSFA resources, Health Link etc.)

• Best practices, protocols, resources, and documentation tools for primary prevention and secondary prevention services

• Secondary prevention services for individuals with previous stroke/TIA to ensure appropriate diagnostics, medications, follow-up, education, and self-management support

Emergency Services and Acute Care (Pillar 2)

Prehospital Care• EMS direct transport, assessment and transport protocols

consistently applied across the province to ensure rapid responseand increased access to appropriate acute treatment* Formal standardized education program for all EMS staff in the province

Emergency Department Management• Enhanced ED stroke response through standard stroke

protocols with formal consultation links to Comprehensive or Primary Stroke Centres through telestroke Formal stroke protocol training for physicians and other HCP in ED

• Exploit CT sites as PA sites, enhance hours of CT availability and telestroke infrastructure

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Curriculum Partnership Success StoryDetails of pioneering practical nursing program unveiled at Innovations 2008 Conference

(Philadelphia, PA – March 18, 2008) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and NorQuest Collegewere chosen to share their curriculum development partnership experience at theInnovations 2008 Conference earlier this month in Denver, Colorado. Lippincott Williams& Wilkins is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and busi-ness intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, alliedhealth, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

The publisher joined forces with NorQuest College in Edmonton, Alberta, last year to createinteractive educative strategies for Canada’s largest practical nursing program.

“We saw a unique opportunity to align Lippincott Williams & Wilkins’ exceptional nursing contentwith the learning needs of our students,” says Linda Nykolyn, RN, BScN, Curriculum Control Unit Coordinator, NorQuest College and co-presenter, “This ground-breaking alliance produced top-notch educational solutions for faculty and students. Partnering with Lippincott Williams & Wilkins has allowed us to produce a media rich curriculum within a fraction of the time traditionally required.”

The unprecedented collaboration to bring the clinical content to life included multi-media material ranging from critical thinking exercises, journal articles and case studies, to audio clips,video clips and animations.

“We are honored to help accelerate and improve the learning process for students through thisextraordinary partnership,” says, Pete Darcy, Publisher, Nursing Education, Wolters KluwerHealth, “By tailoring our content to meet the needs of their curriculum, we were able to create a program that assists faculty by alleviating preparation and engages students by appealing todifferent learning styles.”

For more information on curriculum partnership with Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, contact Pete Darcy at (215) 521-8745 or Peter.Darcy@wolterskluwer.com.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (www.LWW.com) is a leading international publisher for healthcareprofessionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider ofinformation and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services andpublishing company with annual revenues (2007) of $3.4 billion ($4.8 billion), maintains operations in over 33 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific and employsapproximately 19,544 people worldwide. Visit www.WoltersKluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

About NorQuest CollegeNorQuest College is one of the most diverse college communities in Canada. Based in the heartof Edmonton, NorQuest offers diplomas and certificates in health, human services, business andindustry careers. The College has particular expertise in adult academic preparation, English as asecond language, literacy education, and learner supports for students with disabilities. With fourcampuses, regional learning sites and virtual campus, NorQuest serves over 10,000 studentsannually through full-time, part-time and distance programs.

About Innovations 2008Innovations 2008, developed by the League for Innovation in the Community College, is dedicated to improving organizational teaching and learning, and discovering novel approachesfor enhancing the community college experience.

How do you get people excited about learning?MAKE IT INTERACTIVE!

That’s what NorQuest College didwhen it partnered with Lippincott

Williams & Wilkins (LWW) publishersto create an interactive, multimedia curriculum for four courses in its PNprogram. The courses are offered

in the classroom and online.

“We saw a unique opportunity to alignLWW’s exceptional nursing resources

with the learning needs of our students,” says Linda Nykolyn,

Curriculum Control Coordinator, at NorQuest. “We had the course

materials and LWW had the learningresources. By working together, we created quality courses that enhance learning for students.“

In addition to studying from text books,PN students at NorQuest use

technology to access a wide range ofinteractive resources. These include animations, links to relevant nursing

journal articles, audio clips, video clipsof students learning to be nurses andmuch more. When they want to applywhat they have learned, they can work

with interactive case studies.

“Whether you are a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner, these interactivecourses offer something for everyone,”

says Linda.

Interactive digital environments enablelearners to explore issues, make critical

thinking decisions and see the consequences of those decisions.

“We’ve had very positive feedback fromour students at NorQuest who say theyreally enjoy learning about nursing in amedia rich environment,” says Linda.

“With this new multimedia curriculum, we’ve realized the

benefits of developing partnerships with our publishers to support theneeds of our students,” she adds.

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©Copyright NurseONE, February 2008

HOW TO REGISTER AT NURSEONE: 1. Go to the website www.nurseone.ca. 2. On the left hand side of the screen, find and click on

“Register”. 3. On the Registration page, enter your “Name” exactly as it

appears on your CLPNA Practice Permit. 4. After you “Send Registration”, your User Name and

Password will be sent to you by email. 5. Please note that, because of the unique interface between

NurseONE and the CLPNA database, the system might have difficulty verifying your name. If you do not receive the above e-mail within 24 hours, contact NurseONE directly at registration@nurseone.ca or info@nurseone.ca. CLPNA does not have computer access to the portal.

6. Once you receive the e-mail, please follow the directions outlined to activate your account.

7. During your first visit to the portal, take the opportunity to change your password to something that is easy to remember. To do so, click on “My Profile” on the left-hand side of the page. The change of password is half-way down the page.

NURSEONE’S e-THERAPEUTICS+

e-Therapeutics+ is Canada’s authoritative source for prescribing and managing drug therapy at the

point-of-care.

Inside e-Therapeutics+ you will see six tabs that correspond to the six major sections of e-Therapeutics+.

Home This tab highlights what’s new in e-Therapeutics+. It also provides:

- Links to new safety information from Health Canada

- Links to public drug programs, criteria,

and forms for government drug plans - Additional suggested resources in the

recommended links portlet - Access to the Product Tour for the e-Therapeutics+ portal and mobile applications.

Therapeutics This tab features content from Canadian Pharmacists Association's Therapeutic Choices,

providing treatment options on conditions and diseases written by experts. The information is extensively reviewed to ensure it's objective and

unbiased. You can access content using the Search Therapeutic Topic or Select Therapeutic Topic function.

e-CPS

Search for drug monographs from the indispensable online Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, e-CPS, on this

tab. The e-CPS includes current monographs from Canada's trusted source of drug information, plus Clin-Info drug interactions

tables, directories and the Product Identification Tool.

Drug Interactions The Drug Interactions tab connects you to Lexi-Comp's™ Lexi-Interact™ Online, a comprehensive drug-to-drug, drug-to-herb and herb-to-herb interaction analyzer.

Info for Patients Info for Patients provides printable self-care information from CPhA's Patient Self-Care. Content is written in plain language and is available in English and French to give to your

patients.

In addition, you will find four global links at the top right corner of the site (Feedback, Contact Us, My Profile, and Log Out) to assist you.

For a complete tour of the product, please click on Product Tour on the Home tab.

Fact Sheets

The thousand angry bees in the turboprops navigated us topsy turvy through a snow squall on finalapproach into High Level. I was heading to the Northwest Health Centre to interview LPNs about thework they are doing. There are no overhead bins on the plane from Edmonton to High Level. The

alternative to this flight is what locals call the Northern Allowance Drive – an eight-hour drive fromEdmonton driving 20% over the speed limit.

I’ve never been to High Level and I’m sure to be like many who have never been here before and have pre-conceived notions about what I consider “the north.” But in a brief window that opened in the sky on myflight, the fog of snow yielded to reveal the serpentine curvature of the Peace River, mile upon mile of gentlyundulating mixed and boreal forest, and northward – a patchwork quilt of farmland that is not any differentthat one might find in farm-friendly Alberta. It wasn’t the first of the surprises to come in my journey.

northernexposureBy Chris Fields, Contributing Writer

continued next page

northernexposure

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A Day in the Life of High Level Health Care

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Surprise #2 comes in the form of theNorthwest Health Centre. Only four yearsold, it is bright and state-of-the-art, serv-ing an extensive geographic area in thenorthwest corner of Alberta. Its 21 acutecare and 10 long-term (plus 1 respite) carebeds, home to 25 RN and 8.5 LPN posi-tions, represents a facility big enough tocontain all the standard fare of a full ser-vice hospital – acute care, public health,home care, mental health, rehabilitation,emergency, long-term care, obstetrics, andsurgery – yet small enough and with awarmth of colour, furnishings and wall-adorning artistic expression to feel like alarge home. A Primary Care Networkoperates community-based programs fornew moms, persons with diabetes, andchildren with Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorder. There are some limitationsinherent in a smaller hospital. There's noICU or trauma surgery. Air Medical trans-ports more life-threatening cases toEdmonton for treatment. CT/MRI scansmust be done at referral centres.

Steve Rideout, RN (Acute Care NursingManager) mentions during my introducto-ry tour that the nurses have an affection-ate term for the place – the “High LevelMaternity Hospital.” For a communityand a hospital this size, there are an amaz-ing 500 annual baby deliveries, primarilydue to High Level’s youthful population(average age of 25).

Nowhere is the spirit, and uniqueness, ofthe Northwest Health Centre better cap-tured than in the Palliative Room. It is alarge space with a softness and tranquilityof colour, decoration, and furnishing.Funded by community donations, it has afull kitchen and living room, and a sepa-rate external entrance. Families can sleepover, and can come and go in privacy. Its

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size recognizes cultural context, particu-larly First Nations culture; as a sign ofrespect the entire community waits, youngand old alike, until life passes.

First Nations culture and the home awayfrom home look and feel find furtherexpression in the long-term care wing.Hardwood floors passing the patientrooms yield to the sunny windows and thelarge gathering space that doubles as botha TV room and a kitchen/eating area.Wendy Mercereau, LPN, has been theLong Term Care Coordinator sinceFebruary, 2008. Her easy smile and wel-coming personality quickly alight on herpassion for bringing the outside worldwithin the hospital’s walls. “We’re per-sonalizing the place to make it more com-fortable and natural,” Wendy says, as shedescribes how the fact that 10 of the 11residents in the facility are First Nations,led to the decision to make the facilitymore of a First Nations cultural expres-sion.

Artifacts, including tablecloths, bookends,tapes of drummers, a dreamcatcher in thewindow, and native art on walls, were afirst step. Her next task was to bring cul-ture into the facility. A volunteer regularlydrops by to play the ‘Hand Game’ (agame involving the hiding of objects inhands). Native dancers, drummers, andorgan, guitar, and fiddle players arebrought in on occasion. A bus is arrangedevery July to take the residents out to asite 20 km away for a pilgrimage - anevent of strong spiritual significance to theFirst Nations.

The personality of the long-term carewing is expressed in other comfortingways. There was the recent 50th weddinganniversary BBQ for a resident last year.

A ‘scrapbook’ feature wall is being createdfor residents’ pictures. A Pet Therapistcomes in once a week with a variety ofpets, which Wendy is describing as Iperuse her digital camera full of photos ofbirds perching on residents' shoulders.There’s the pulley and rope system that’sbeen installed on a wall beside a patient’sroom – in place because the residentexpressed interest in that type of exercise.There’s a buzz in the facility about theimminent arrival of a pet dog. In rooms,personal pictures have been hung withWendy’s urging.

When asked if she is seeing positiveresponse in residents with the recent ini-tiatives, Wendy nods and says “Yes, theyare responding. Their conditions are suchthat the residents typically don’t socializemuch, but we now see them out in thedining room more. They are also moresocial with all the staff.”

It’s not to say that quality of care isn’twithout its challenges here. This isn’t a

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Northern Exposure…continued from page 19

long-term care facility youwould expect – with the wiz-ened spirits of age and wis-dom. There is no local grouphome; long-term care substi-tutes. Ages range from teenag-er through mid-life to elderly.The ravages of diabetes, vehi-cle accidents, mental chal-lenges, and blindness are here.

But despite the challenge I seea glint in Wendy’s eye as shedescribes the resident ‘singingElvis,’ and I see a window toher heart as she leans over aresident with a gentle touchon the shoulder and quietly

asks how he is doing. “Wehave lots of fun here,” shesays, even as she details a rou-tine that sounds daunting tome – including the arrange-ment of hair, dental, andphysio appointments, process-ing of laundry, arranging vehi-cles for resident shopping,staff evaluations, and herwork with Tribal Councils.An inter-disciplinary meeting(Physio, OCC therapist,Dietitian, Nurses) every threemonths shapes the macro con-text of care.

Talking to Wendy, I absorbtwo ‘memory post it notes’ Iam soon to discover are recur-ring day-in-the-LPN-lifethemes here. The first – zeal-ous commitment - goes well

beyond the confines of a shift.Patient care-first values and ateam-work heart are a rhyth-mic drumbeat of day to daylife here.

This ethic is exemplified asWendy describes a residentrequest for an Orville Prophettape. For those as mystified asI was as to who this is, he is acountry singer of some mea-sure of fame… at least to theresident. Wendy took up thesleuthing cause, searchingmagazines and online for themellifluous product. Her hus-band eventually found it oneBay. The tape had arrived theday before my talk withWendy, much to the delight of

the patient, who said “thankyou” – quite a milestone forsomeone who normally nevertalks. These are advantages ofliving in a smaller communityand feeling more tightly knit.As Wendy says, “I feel astrong sense of commitmentto my job, my patients, andmy community.”

The second theme – the north-ern spirit - emerges as I askWendy about her back-ground. Her first LPN shiftthree years ago at theNorthwest Health Centre wason her 50th birthday. She is along-time northerner, havinglived in Grande Cache for 23years prior to moving to HighLevel in conjunction with ajob move for her husband. She

was a First Aid Attendant at amine in Grande Cache whocompleted her LPN trainingat NorQuest College inEdmonton via distance learn-ing while living in High Level.She has taken leadership andfootcare courses subsequent toLPN training. Now wellestablished in High Level, shedoesn't want to move.

It’s a pattern I find common tomost LPNs I will end up talk-ing to. They moved with theirspouse who took a job inHigh Level. They were born inthe north or have lived in thenorth long enough to under-stand, and indeed appreciate,both its unique demands and

opportunities. A lifelonglearning desire has seen LPNsstart as hospital receptionistsand continue to grow, orswitch to an LPN career inmid-life.

Brian Klatt, LPN is a tall manwith wise hair (some mightsay a little grey). High Level’shigh school science teacher for14 years, Brian returned to thecareer DNA of his parents(both were RNs) in mid-career, completing the LPNcourse in Fort Vermilion in2003. He attributes his careershift to a desire to learn newthings. “There’s lots of jobvariety given the hospital cul-ture here. There’s alwaysroom to learn here, an oppor-tunity I wouldn’t be afforded

in a larger hospital elsewherewhere there is inclination tocreate procedural specialties.”As Brian articulates - any limi-tation of scope would limit hisability to learn, which wouldcompromise the very reasonhe shifted to the LPN profes-sion in mid-career.

I ask Brian if patients distin-guish between an RN and anLPN in the Northwest HealthCentre. His response – “No –not only does everyone work-ing here consider everyone elsean equal member of the team,patients simply get to knowyou as a person with a name,and as a trusted nurse.”

I speculate that perhaps thereason the LPN/RN distinc-tion is less evident here in themind of the patient is theremote geography combinedwith a small town value sys-tem. I get a nod from Brian.“It takes a special person tolive and work in High Level –independent, outgoing, andeager to learn and grow. Theyneed to be flexible. But inreturn you get something spe-cial – a job that is veryrespected here, and an experi-ence that is soulful.”

An LPN position in HighLevel also offers somethingelse…what might just be themost full scope of practice inAlberta… and Canada. It’sexemplified by Linda Krause,

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LPN, who moved to HighLevel from St. Albert 13 yearsago when her husband took anew job. Shortly after themove, she took a job at thehospital as a receptionist, cov-ering a maternity leave. Aftercompleting a course at SAIT,she moved to CSR – orderingand distributing supplies andprocessing surgical equipment.

From 1996 to 2001 Lindacompleted her LPN training.An IV Starts course in 2003,and an OR Specialty in 2004followed. She has been a scrubnurse in the OR since 1998.Aside from her contributionas a member of the surgeryteam, Linda does surgical

bookings, department order-ing, medications/narcoticssupplies, and IVs. One yearago she started her RN degreeto fulfill her dream – to be aHead Nurse in OR, ER andCSR.

That job functions becomeblurred in High Level andscope of LPN practice is maxi-mized is being driven by twofactors: 1) a highly competentstaff at the hospital wherethere is complete trust andteam play between and amongthe professions; and 2) thecombination of remote geog-raphy and Alberta’s tightlabour environment that inturn create a chronic staffshortage.

“We were short-staffed lastsummer,” says Linda. “Youget called, show up and workas part of the team – you dowhat is needed as conditionswarrant. There’s no blink ofan eye from other healthprofessionals about whatyou're doing, not only becausewe know each other so welland are team-play oriented,but also because we simplycan’t afford to have resourcessit idle when resources arelimited.”

Perhaps Wendy articulates itbest by comparing her job toher niece, who completed herLPN training with Wendy andis working as an LPN in

Edmonton. “My niece doesn’thave the same role as I do -including IVs, blood transfu-sions, or IMs - because spe-cialized LPNs do that at herhospital. We work in all areashere - emergency, case room,pre and post-op. You get somuch good experience here.”She and her niece have alsocompared notes on personalrelationships and patientrecognition, and a tip of thehat goes to High Level.“Personal relationships inHigh Level are deeper, and thepatient recognition strongerbecause the community issmaller and more personal,”says Wendy.

Other features of day-to-daylife at the hospital contribute

to breadth of scope of prac-tice.

Despite its disappearance inmost hospital settings, in HighLevel there is still a morning‘Report’ for all nurses on thefloor. As Debbie Juckes, anLPN working in the SpecialtyClinic says, “We know every-thing and what’s happeningwith everyone. We know whatnurse might need more sup-port. If the bell rings, youanswer it. We’re assignedpatients but we still help outso everyone can be finished ontime.”

A system of continuing educa-tion and cross-training around

procedures that expand com-fort zones and job function isin place in High Level. AnLPN rattles off a litany of in-house training in recent times,including neo-natal babyassessment, transfers, CPR,IV/blood transfusion, andchest physio/range of motion.

As Brian indicates, there’seven gentle pressure for LPNrole creep in High Level – intoareas such as AdvancedCardiac and Trauma Nursing.

Scope of practice is also beingextended in new, innovativeways – breaking glass ceilingsalong the way. Karen Crane,LPN coordinates theTelehome Care program here,which has been running in the

Northern Lights HealthRegion since 2004 (in FortMcMurray), and started inHigh Level in May, 2007. Theprogram, designed to monitorchronic conditions by tether-ing patients at home to a hos-pital computer via an in-homemonitoring system and aphone line connection,is a leader in Alberta.Recently announced AlbertaGovernment funding forexpanded Telehome Care pro-grams will no doubt haveother health regions inAlberta looking to theNorthern Lights HealthRegion for guidance andadvice.

Karen is currently monitoringsix patients in a broad swathof geography from High Levelto La Crete to Pickle Creek toPaddle Prairie – as a quarter-back managing the triangularrelationship between medicaldata, patient follow up andvisitation, and the patient’sdoctor. A total of 15 patientshave been on the system inthe last year, many duringpost-surgery recovery periods.

The monitor looks like analarm clock, complete withdate and time. There’s a scale,a blood pressure cuff, and anO2 monitor. Monitoringparameters are determined inconsultation with the doctor,and are specific to eachpatient. The monitor is pro-

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2008 SPRING CONFERENCE

F ive hundred and sixty seven LPNs, Nurse Managers,Educators, and Students packed the Marriott River Cree foran incredible two day event on April 10 and 11, 2008. With

records being broken in attendance, sponsorship, trade showparticipation, and student involvement, delegates left with arenewed sense of vigor and inspiration, recharged to go back totheir workplace.

The two day conference focused on the theme “Inspired Nursing– Working from Within” with topics that enhance knowledge in avariety of areas including non-verbal communication, duty to care,hope, men in nursing, spirit at work, chronic disease manage-ment, the power of play, dementia care, collaborative nursing, andenergizing and balancing your life.

“This years conference attracted the most involvement we haveever had from employers and educators, sponsoring the atten-dance of LPNs and students for the full two day event.” saidExecutive Director of the CLPNA, Linda Stanger. “This signifies acommitment to the continuing competence and the retention andrecruitment of LPNs across Alberta.” Stanger also says, “Thislevel of support from sponsors and delegates really impacts thequality of our event and leaves us excited as we plan for an evenlarger event next year.”

New in 2008, was the change in conference format to include anevening Celebration Dinner to recognize the EducationFoundation Award Nominees, Recipients, and Bursary Winners.The evening was a success for all with music and entertainment,a fabulous meal, and time to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

The result of all these positives for delegates was a conferencefilled with energy and enthusiasm to reawaken their passion fornursing and in our Profession. Based on comments it is obviousthat attendees were INSPIRED!!

WORKING FROM WITHIN

”

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“I loved networking with old friends, colleagues, and meeting the students.

It was great to learn new ideas and tools to inspire, motivate, and lead.

The spirit of everyone was electrifying. Reminded me why I chose this Profession.

I have been an LPN for many years and this is the first time I attended conference –

I won’t miss it again!

I liked everything – mostly the presentations, speakers, and energy of our organization. Thank you CLPNA.

Very well planned conference. All speakers were exceptional. The banquet was beautiful,

very relaxing, and entertaining.

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Message fromDr. Raj Sherman

MLA Edmonton-Meadowlark and Parliamentary Assistant, Health & Wellness

On April 11, I had the privilege of attending the CLPNA’sannual Spring Conference at the Marriot River Cree Resort inEdmonton. It was truly an honor for me to meet members ofyour profession and to have brought greetings on behalf of theMinister of Health and Wellness, the Honourable RonLiepert.

The theme, “Inspired Nursing: Working from Within” wastruly a fitting one. I had the opportunity to attend a workshopand share stories over lunch. As a physician, I can say first-hand that LPNs are valued members of the health care team.

The priority of our government is to improve access to qualityhealthcare and ensure future sustainability of the healthcaresystem. I truly appreciate having had the opportunity toengage your individual members directly and hear from themthe challenges that they face and the opportunities for theenhanced role that your profession can play in the delivery ofcare to Albertans.

We are all in this together and I look forward to working withyou in the future. I want you to know that my door is alwaysopen to help you to help us in the delivery of world class careto all Albertans.

WORKING FROM WITHIN

ANNUAL AWARDRECIPIENTS HONOURED

Surprise and gratitude were expressed by thewinners of the 2008 Awards of Excellencehonoured April 10 at the Celebration

Dinner during the College of Licensed PracticalNurses of Alberta’s (CLPNA) annual SpringConference. The Awards pay tribute to excel-lence in LPN practice, leadership, and educationin Alberta. Nominations were submitted fromemployers and colleagues, many of whomattended to celebrate with their nominees duringthe two-hour ceremony. Winners received $1000and a commemorative crystal award.

Awards were presented by the Fredrickson-McGregor Education Foundation for LPNs (the“Foundation”), a non-profit society establishedto support members of CLPNA through educa-tional grants, bursaries and awards of merit.Information about the Foundation may be foundon the CLPNA’s website at www.clpna.com.

LAURA CRAWFORD EXCELLENCEIN PRACTICE AWARD

The Laura Crawford Excellence in Practice Awardwas presented to Diane Welter, LPN for her workat Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.Displaying a high quality of care for her clients,“wonderfully honed skills in surgical and generalcare”, and efficient organization skills, Diane tendsto her patients “with her whole heart”. The reasonfor her selection can be summed up in a line writ-ten by one of her nominators: “Diane is the kind ofnurse we wish we could duplicate over and over.”Diane graduated in 1994. She was nominated byGenevieve Beecroft, LPN, and sponsored by UnitManager Dorothy Warren Mazepa, RN, andClinical Nurse Educator Lisa McKendrick Calder.

The Laura Crawford Excellence in Practice Awardwas established by the Education Foundation in1994 to honour Laura Crawford for her passionatecommitment to excellence in nursing practice.

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Nominees must display exemplary nursing knowledge, promote an atmosphereof teamwork, advocate for the client, and demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning.

PAT FREDRICKSON EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARDSusan Firth, LPN, is the second annual winnerof the Pat Fredrickson Excellence in LeadershipAward for her work at LethbridgeHemodialysis. In addition to her LPN duties,Susan repeatedly shows her leadership abilitiesthrough playing a key role in organizing theLethbridge Renal Conference, acting as theinstructor for the Clinibase patient registrationapplication, and participating in focus groupsleading to the expansion of LPN scope of prac-tice in her facility. Susan graduated in 1979. Susan was nominated by BerniceReorink, Clinical Nurse Educator, and sponsored by Kathryn Iwaasa, AssistantPatient Care Manager, and Kailey Pauls, Dietician.

The Pat Fredrickson Excellence in Leadership Award was established in 2007to honour Pat Fredrickson, a woman of vision and leadership who served theLPN profession for over 40 years, including 20 years as the ExecutiveDirector/Registrar of the CLPNA. Nominees must consistently demonstrateexcellence in leadership through their professionalism, advocacy, communica-tion, and passion for the Profession.

RITA McGREGOR EXCELLENCE IN NURSING EDUCATION AWARDMyrna Ross, the winner of the Rita McGregorExcellence in Nursing Education Award, honesher craft at NorQuest College in Edmonton onthe Clinical Placement Team for practical nurs-ing students. As she counsels students experienc-ing difficulty in the clinical area, Myrna displayscompassion and a refreshing directness. Her roleis a diverse one, even leading to such tasks asdeveloping materials to fill in identified educa-tional gaps for a group of international nurses.Her integrity, loyalty, truthfulness, discretion, courage and fairness areattributes cited by her nominator as defining her character. Myrna has been anLPN since 1975. She was nominated by Robin Michaud, Coordinator StudentAffairs, and sponsored by June Parham, Team Leader, and Kelly Rance,Clinical Placement Team.

The Rita McGregor Excellence in Education Award was established in 2007 tohonour Rita McGregor, a committed advocate for the practical nursing profes-sion who encouraged LPNs to continually develop their knowledge and skills.Rita worked for nearly 20 years as Director of Practice & Policy of theCLPNA. Nominees must consistently demonstrate excellence in provision ofnursing education in their workplace.

Nomination Forms for the 2009 Awards will be available from the CLPNA’s website at www.clpna.com. Employers, colleagues and

students of outstanding LPNs are encouraged to apply.

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Awards and BursaryNominees

The CLPNA and Fredrickson-McGregorEducation Foundation for LPNs congratulates

the Nominees for this year’s Awards ofExcellence. These exceptional LPNs were nominated by employers and colleagues

across Alberta. In the Foundation’s opinion, they are all winners.

Laura Crawford Excellence in Nursing Practice Award

Winner: Diane Welter

Nominees:Roseanne Abbott, Calgary

Laurie Anderson, WhitecourtMarianne Barabash, Edmonton

Donna Becker, MorinvilleTracey Bruins, Calgary

Sally Kotcherek, CalgaryDebora Landa, Edmonton

Tracey Metz, CochraneJolayne Onofrychuk, LethbridgeMaryAnn Schneider, Daysland

Anne Wall, CalgaryJanice Yellowknee, Wabasca

Pat Fredrickson Excellence in Leadership Award

Winner: Susan Firth

Nominees:Barb Bold, Edmonton

Elisabeth Breitkreutz, Grande PrairieJill Bryant, Cochrane

Louise Ford, EdmontonVictoria Hernandez, Edmonton

Beverley Leibel, CamroseThecla Pries, Lethbridge

Angela Stafford, LethbridgeNancy Unterschultz, Stony Plain

Peggy Willms, Edmonton

Rita McGregor Excellence in Nursing Education Award

Winner: Myrna Ross

Nominee:Laura Milligan, Fort Saskatchewan

David King Educational BursaryRecipients:

Jody Misunis, EdmontonDorothy Wurst-Thurn, Grande Prairie

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grammed remotely to turn on up to fourtimes/day and have the patient take mea-surements. The monitor’s electronic voiceasks up to 10 screening questions out of abank of 50 questions to help Karen deter-mine if follow up is required on a moreimmediate basis related to monitoringresults and responses to questions. Karenalso prints a monitoring history when thepatient has an appointment with theirdoctor. The charting becomes central tothe patient-doctor interaction.

The types of patients include ChronicObstructive Pulmonary Disorder,Congestive Heart Failure (a scale is used),and Diabetes (a glucometer is connectedinto the machine). As Karen indicates, thebuy-in and support of the patient’s doctoris fundamental to the success of the pro-gram. And with the support of the doctorand evolving technology, Karen indicatesthat the range of chronic conditions thatcould be monitored in this fashion cansignificantly expand.

Karen sees room for the program to grow,citing pre-eclampsia in pregnancy andassociated blood pressure monitoring athome rather than at a clinic or in emer-gency, peak flow monitors that can beused for asthma monitoring, and PT INRthat can be used for clot monitoring.

Karen’s Telehome Care position is cur-rently part-time but is shifting to full-time.Ten more monitors are in the process ofbeing added to the system. Swiper cardsare being added to allow many clients toconnect to a single machine (eg. for anursing station in Paddle Prairie).

Karen rattles off benefits of the programthat include time and cost saving (reducednursing time/patient, reduced travel time),and quality of life for patients – who canbe at home rather than in a hospital, andwho have to travel far less frequently formedical attention. “Our patients love it.They feel empowered to be in charge oftheir own health.”

While she says over-reliance on technolo-gy is dangerous and remote monitoring isnot a replacement for face-to-face contactwith a patient, in this part of Alberta, thealternative to a Telehome Care program isan acknowledged threat to health becausemany can’t travel the great distancesrequired with the frequency required.

“Telehome Care can be life-saving. Werecently had a patient with blood pres-sures that spiked drastically at night. Themonitor caught this, and with the stick-handling of this situation through thedoctor, meds were changed fromtwice/day to three times/day to reduce riskof a re-stroke.”

High Level is a pioneer in implementingthe LPN role in Telehome Care. Thisexperience shows programs of this natureare well within the LPN scope of practiceto coordinate and operate.

There’s more justice to be done to thedynamic in High Level. Steve, and AngieMann (Director of Patient Services) areRNs who have taken the High Level chal-lenge and shaped it into a best practicesmodel that others can learn from.

Angie vibrates with energy. When she tellsme “I love my nurses,” it really says it allabout Angie. It drives her to absolute ded-ication to her craft. It has readily lever-aged full scope of practice – because in hermind whether one is an RN or an LPNmatters less than getting the job done withskill and commitment.

Angie began working at the hospital 13years ago as a student from the U of C.She is a lifelong learning role model,presently working on a Master’s of HealthStudies. Perhaps it is her lengthy attach-ment to community, and her affinity forlearning – that flavours the drive for team-play and full scope of practice.

It’s a perspective echoed by Steve, who isfrom Newfoundland and has been at theNorthwest Health Centre for eight years.“There are no constraints or limitationshere,” Steve says. “If you’re passionateabout it and have an interest in doing it, adesire quickly becomes a reality here.When we have a trauma case come in, weneed all the resources we can get. I simplydon’t care about the politics of staff choic-es, I care about quality of care. The teamhere is tremendous and I have full trust intheir capability – whether they are an RNor an LPN.”

Paradoxically, the labour supply apple isbeing regularly peeled, but it is a smallcore of long-tenured nurses who are light-ing candles on a path of enlightenment.That doesn’t mean effort isn’t being madeto bolster recruitment and retentionefforts. New nurses have recently comefrom everywhere – from the UK to the

Philippines, to India, to the Maritimes.The pitch – the adrenalin rush of a feet tothe fire, jack of all trades, no two days thesame, full scope of practice work experi-ence. The ability to fast-track develop-ment of extensive skills. A small, tightlyknit community that brings the humanexperience of health care closer to home…and heart. A place of extraordinary,‘familial’ working relationships.

Angie says a key recruitment strategy is to“grow our own.” The hospital has beenactively employing a ‘McDonald’s market-ing strategy’ (i.e. get them while they’reyoung) by getting into the schools. ACareers Next Generation program is runevery summer via the high school. A stu-dent is paid to follow a nurse around andget a feel for the job as a career opportuni-ty. There is also a student volunteer pro-gram in the hospital, which is offered as afor-credit course in the high school. Thereare presently five volunteer students.Angie indicates two students have goneaway to nursing school as a direct resultof these programs, and want to come backto High Level following completion oftheir training. There is every intent toexpand the number of students engaged inthese programs.

Locally-based recruitment has anothersource – an LPN basic program (NorthernLakes College) currently based in FortVermilion but moving to High Level forSeptember classes. Angie Penner, LPN,who has been the PN program Instructorfor two years, expects the move to a largercentre will attract more students (there arepresently four) to the program. “Havingthe basic program in High Level is anadvantage for the hospital in terms ofrecruitment and practicum positions,”Angie says. “We’re also creating a careeroption for those who want to stay homeafter high school.”

Let’s face it – the north isn’t for everyone.But as I’ve discovered, it is for many morepeople than any stereotype would lead us tobelieve. Nurses come to, and remain in,High Level for many reasons. A spousewith a job… family in the area… recentlygraduated seeking adrenalin-rush experi-ence… adventurous spirits… people cravingsmall town… and patient… connectivity.

There’s a pulse of pioneering spirit herelong since passed further south. Peoplelook out for each other. They care abouteach other. The public good weighs moreheavily on the conscience. It translates to a

Northern Exposure…continued from page 21

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first time visitor in endearing ways, likehousekeeping’s requirement to take bootsand shoes off at the front door of the hos-pital. In this institution there is home andfamily, in form and function, and in depthof relationships.

There is a window into the future of nurs-ing here. High Level does what the geesedo - fly 70% faster in formation than theydo as individuals. Flexibility and teamplay is embraced. Service is about qualityof care not division of responsibility -about love for nursing not politics. Linesdrawn between the professional sandselsewhere are gently blown away here.Scope of practice is something to bump upagainst the limits of. There is collective joyin the success and growth of the individu-al in their profession - not unlike how welove to see our families prosper.

The simple truth is it’s likely hard torepeat elsewhere, being born of necessityand geographic context. But we can lookthrough the window to a day where well-trained LPNs in Alberta and acrossCanada are integral to the performance ofthe health system, and are fully respectedand valued by health care professionalsand the public.

I stood at the north end of Town as I leftHigh Level for home – in front of the signsaying “Northwest Territories 190 km”.“Gateway to the South” the cheeky mar-keting material in my hand says, and yetHigh Level is not the end of the road but amid-point on a bustling road toYellowknife.

This is the Land of the Big – spaces,trucks, and spirits. There’s an outdooradventure around every corner against abackdrop of 20 hours of sunlight in thesummer and the spectacular northernlights in the winter. There’s even a winefestival in May. It’s Anywhere, Alberta –and that's not a bad thing. High Level hasall the creature comforts and modernity ofother communities its size.

As I leave the bonds of earth in the air-plane home, I recall the dreamcatcherhanging in the window in the long-termcare facility. Native Americans believethat the night air is filled with dreamsboth good and bad. The dreamcatcher

grasps night dreams as they flow by. Thegood dreams know how to pass throughthe dreamcatcher, slipping through theouter holes and sliding down the softfeathers. The bad dreams, not knowingthe way, get tangled in the dreamcatcherand perish with the first light of the newday. Dream time holds all possible doorsopen to all levels of awareness.

The positive spirit of thedreamcatcher seems fittingfor High Level – a hospital

and a group of people who give us eyes with which to see a new

and progressive future.

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Lifelong Learning for LPNs OnlineBy P. Lammiman and M. Loyer, Nurse Educators, Bow Valley College

LPNS are directed by both the CLPNA Standards of Practiceand their own life long learning aspirations to take coursesto improve their professional practice. Imagine taking these

courses in your pyjamas. With online learning you can completeyour coursework and assignments from your home computerwithout commuting to a classroom.

Online learning offers flexibility to achieve your learning goalswhile balancing professional and other life responsibilities. InAlberta e-Campus offers courses online in many different disci-plines including health care. The e-Campus Alberta e-Zinenewsletter recently conducted a survey asking learners abouttheir online experiences. Survey results indicate thateCampusAlberta learners range in age from 19 to over 60 andthat the second largest number of respondents are from thehealth care field. A vast majority (65%) responded that theychose online education so that they could work on their courseson a flexible schedule. One respondent writes “As a working pro-fessional who also runs a home-based business, time and educa-tion are both valuable resources to me. Online education wouldallow me the flexibility to continue to improve my businessknowledge and skills in a time frame that works with my hecticlifestyle. The added bonus is that the courses are adaptable to mytime schedule rather than me having to adapt my life aroundclass schedules” (Rescanski, 2008).

In particular, e-Campus Alberta offers courses for LPNs who areworking professionally and who would like to broaden theirknowledge base on current issues and specialty areas. One courseoffered online is the Leadership for Practical Nurses. Bow ValleyCollege, in cooperation with The College of LicensedPractical Nurses of Alberta, has designed this course forLicensed Practical Nurses who wish to expand their leadershipknowledge and skills, as well as for staff nurses who plan to tran-sition into leadership positions. Learners will explore variousleadership theories, characteristics, styles and techniques, andapply them to leadership challenges likely to arise within thenursing profession. Leadership is a set of learned behaviours andattitudes that facilitate success in influencing others and promot-ing positive change. Sometimes leaders have a formal title thatgives them authority to lead. However, leadership skills are oftenused by informal leaders in the workplace to promote beneficialchanges and continuous improvement in workplace practices andclient services. Building on the knowledge gained from basicpractical nurse education, the leadership course providesLicensed Practical Nurses with the knowledge, skills, and confi-dence needed to take on formal and informal leadership roleswithin an increasingly complex healthcare environment. Thecourse emphasizes practical approaches to gaining and applyingthese leadership skills. Since the first offering of the LeadershipCourse more than 60 LPNs have taken advantage of the onlinedelivery to facilitate their lifelong learning.

An online course differs from a traditional classroom course in

both flexibility and delivery. When taking an online course alearner has access by computer to modules which contain readingand assignments. Courses may be self-paced so that the learnercan choose when to complete the readings and assignments, ormay have specific start and end dates. Learners have e-mailaccounts within the courses to contact the instructor and otherstudents. In addition there is a discussion board in which bothinstructors and students discuss the material. This “ provides anopportunity for students to dialogue and reflect on the subjectmatter as they would in a traditional classroom without the con-straints of a specific place and time” states Andy Benoit, FacultyDevelopment Officer for Learning Technologies, Bow ValleyCollege.

Some of the learners comments from the Leadership forLPNs course:

“I had forgotten how much I enjoy learning and this has been agreat introduction back into the educational system.”

“I have learned a great deal and will carry it with me in my futureendeavours.”

“Now that I have completed the course, I miss not having anyassignments to do.”

“I would like to check into discussion boards periodically as Ifound them really beneficial to see others points of view.”

The first course of the Adult Mental Health Program wasoffered this spring to rave reviews –from the Mount RoyalCollege instructor and the students. Listen to these testimonials,and see if you don’t get excited:

Pattie Fitzgerald, LPN, Claresholm, AB: “The Mental HealthConcerns, Disorders and Interventions course has been an excel-lent learning experience for me. This course presented relevantinformation for an LPN working in any mental health situation.”And still more from Pattie: “I have done many distance coursesand this one was by far the most organized and well presented ofall… The material content was relevant to my practice.” “Thiscourse has added to my ‘professional tool box’. It has increasedmy understanding of mental illness which in turn has given memore confidence as a nurse.”

Darlene de Moissac, LPN, Calgary,AB: “I learned a lot, but themore I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. I appreciate all theinformation discussed…We were a resource to each other.” “Thiscourse gave me more confidence to ask difficult and perplexingquestions and encouraged me to offer possible solutions and rec-ommendations. With the increased knowledge from this course,my competencies have been enhanced and scope of practice as anLPN has expanded.”

Debra Martin, LPN, Claresholm, AB: “I enjoyed [the assign-ments] and shared them with my co-workers to get their viewsand insights. When reading the charts, I now understand more ofthe diagnosis and the reasons for certain medications….I also findit much easier to read the psychiatric books and understand theterms. This job is so new to me. Still after a year, it is refreshingand this course is an added benefit.”

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Eilleen Farquharson, LPN, Calgary, AB: “It seems that the more I learn aboutmental disorders, the more I want to know. This course will be a big asset to myscope of practice, because it brings a better understanding of our patients and theinner workings of their mental abilities. We need to treat our clients in a holisticmanner to be able to give them the best care whether they are in acute care, longterm care, or in the community. I think that this course will help us accomplishthis.”

Betty Jaap, LPN, Red Deer, AB: “…this newfound knowledge and understandinggives me more confidence that I can give others better care and more hope bothprofessionally and personally. Better understanding = better care giving = fasterrecovery and/or better life.”

Prepare yourself for the exciting changes happening in the practical nursing profes-sion. Take advantage of the educational opportunities and funding available to you.Register now for fall sessions. Watch for new programs and courses being offeredin the province. Information on these and other Bow Valley/Mount Royal Collegeprograms can be found in this publication.

What color are your pyjamas?

Reference:Rescanski, P. (2008) “Online survey yields valuable data” eZine March/April 2008. Alberta: eCampusAlberta.

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