National Nursing Week

To make a gift in honour of the nurses at Victoria Hospital, visit TheVicFoundation.ca/Donate or call 204-477-3513. ADVANCING HEALTHCARE Debbie, RPN, Mental Health #OurNursesOurFuture Louis, CRN, Day Surgery Megan, Nurse Educator Benjamin, RPN, Mental Health Faustina, RN, Mental Health Jennifer, CRN, Operating Room Robert, RN, Medicine We are grateful to our dedicated and compassionate nurses for making a difference in the lives of patients at Victoria Hospital, today and every day. We thank them for their leadership and ongoing commitment to providing outstanding care when it is needed most. Michelle, Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Care National ursing eek May 8-14 Janice, RN Nurse II, Recovery Room In every community and all health-care settings, Manitoba nurses are making a difference in the lives – and health – of Manitobans. During National Nursing Week, we give thanks to these essential members of our health-care teams, for their skill, dedication, and compassion. Thank you for all that you do, each and every day. Interested in a career in caring? Learn more about nursing opportunities available across Manitoba at healthcareersmanitoba.ca Our Nurses Our Future Apply Today Scan Me! THE FREE PRESS ● 11 SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023 FRENCH LANGUAGE SKILLS IN PRIMARY CARE NURSING PUT PATIENTS AT EASE NURSE ENCOURAGES FELLOW COLLEAGUES TO KEEP EXPANDING THEIR CAPABILITIES BY LINDSAY MACKENZIE A change in work en- vironments is what one Winnipeg nurse said she needed to reprioritize her well-being and reinvigorate her passion for health care. Nicole Prenovault is a registered nurse who worked on the frontlines in one of the city's busiest hospitals during the COVID-19 pan- demic. Late last year, she switched care settings while completing her master's degree and now supports physicians in a primary care setting at a Winnipeg clinic. "There are some very triggering words — like 'resiliency' is very triggering and like 'hero' is very tricky," said Prenovault, who works with five doctors as well as a physician assistant, nurs- es and administrative staff in her new role. The registered nurse decided to switch work settings to prioritize work-life balance. The Win- nipeg health region employs more than 14,000 staff and is one of the province's largest employ- ers. Health-care professionals have a variety of site, program and service areas where they can continue to advance their careers through mul- tiple workplace environments. Prenovault appreciates the flexibility that pri- mary care settings offer nurses. "To be honest, I really like working in the hospital," she said. "I always have, but I just was really, really burnt out." Now Prenovault takes care of administering immunizations and following up with patients to make sure that vaccination schedules are up to date for infants and school-aged children. Patients can call the doctor's office and she will review eligibility criteria with them. IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY WHEN IT COMES TO NURSING SKILLS One of Prenovault's primary influences for be- coming a nurse came from watching her grand- ma and mom work as nurses. "I always saw it as a possibility growing up because I had people close to me doing that job of a nurse," she said. In one instance, Preno- vault had a young cousin who was being looked after at the Children's Hospital. When she visited, she noticed a post-surgery draining bag was hanging off the bed. "I remem- ber thinking it was kind of hanging off the bed just above the ground, and I told the nurse I thought it was pulling too much. She said to me, 'You're so right,' and I remember thinking I was a genius." But it wasn't until much later when Prenovault was in nursing school and had to be hospitalized for 10 days that she experienced the opportunity nurses have to make a meaningful difference every day in the course of their jobs. "I just remember thinking of the people who made the difference to me," she said, "and I wanted to make that difference for other people someday." ACTIVELY OFFER FRENCH LANGUAGE FOR PERSONALIZED CARE The primary care clinic where Prenovault works welcomes many refugees and newcomers from French-speaking countries in Africa. Her cultural identity as a French-Canadian and her upbringing prepared her to com- municate with patients in the language they are most comfortable. "If you grew up speaking French your whole life … it makes a very big difference [to speak in your mother tongue]," she said. "Patients just feel in- stantly more comfortable and like they can trust you." Patients can ask for French language translation services at any Winnipeg health region site as part of the Active-Offer program, which is dedicated to providing more individualized care. "Everybody wants that in health care," Preno- vault said. "It's such a big system and there's so much going on, but you just want someone to see you for who you are and if you can offer [a moth- er tongue language], that's very comforting." One of the most difficult parts of providing nursing support in a primary care setting is comforting patients as they wait for test results, diagnostic imaging or referrals that a physician may order as part of a care plan. "I try to talk to people and comfort them through that process," she said. "Everyone has a different understanding of the way the system works, and I think a lot of us who work in health care take that for granted." Along with providing compassionate care to patients, Prenovault explained that it is important for nurses to take care of their well-being too. "When I worked at St. Boniface Hospital for the internal medicine unit, my manager was really good at listening to us and our concerns," she said. She recommends speaking with coworkers to get their advice on coping skills or asking them for helpful suggestions for adjusting a sleep schedule after the night shift. Most importantly, though, Prenovault encour- ages her nurse colleagues to take stock of their priorities regularly. "You have to figure out what's most important to you," she said. "To some people, it is work. For me, family and friends are No. 1. But you have to figure out where your priorities lie and then you figure out a way to carve your life out around that, and that's what I did." Prenovault hinted that she will return to the hospital environment again in the future, but for now she's enjoying the opportunity to gain a different sort of experience in the health-care system. "I've always moved around, like, every two years. I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's the way I've done it," she said. "I liked the variety of experiences I've gained. You learn a lot at every new job. In primary care, I am seeing the way the system works even more." Nicole Prenovault, registered nurse (Photo by Chynna Hill)

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