National Nursing Week

10 MAY 6-12, 2024 SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 NATIONAL NURSING WEEK Changing lives. SHAPING TOMORROW. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 BY TODD LEWYS T o say nursing is in Patrice Lee's blood would be an understatement. That's because she represents the third generation of nurses in her family. "Both my grandmother and mother were nurses," says Lee, who is in her 26th year of nursing. "So my decision to go into nursing was a natural one. I couldn't see myself doing anything else." That said, when she graduated in 1988 from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology Kelsey campus in Saskatoon (now known as Saskatchewan Polytechnic), there weren't a lot of opportunities for new graduates. "I ended up getting on at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon working in the acute medicine unit," she recalls. "It was a busy unit where I dealt with respiratory issues and kidney transplants. It was a really good experience." Two years later, she moved east to take on a new challenge. "I moved to Winnipeg and landed at Seven Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg. During my 12 years there, I had lots of different opportunities, including being discharge co-ordinator and working in emergency." After doing about 15 years of front-line acute work, she decided to go back to school to upgrade her nursing credentials while still finding the time to practise her profession. "I went back and got my bachelor of nursing and graduated in 2016," she says. "I thought getting the degree would open more leadership opportunities up." Her dream job was to be a clinical resource nurse, focusing on quality patient care by identifying staff training needs and improving teamwork among care providers; however, at that time, there weren't a lot of opportunities for that role. "This led me to explore different opportunities such as the facilitator for patient flow and patient care team manager at Concordia Hospital from 2012 to 2017. My transition between roles went well as I was working with a very supportive leadership team," she says. "There were lots of learning curves, but I was still able to advocate for front-line staff. I still did rounds along with doing problem solving and planning." As always, Lee savoured the experience. "I was just trying to learn," she says. "It was another layer of the profession I hadn't seen before." As fate would have it, she would have the opportunity to experience another layer of the profession, this time outside Winnipeg. "A rural position opened, and I made the difficult decision to leave Concordia and go to Stonewall," she says. "I was there for five years, and then the opportunity for director of health services with the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority came open. That's where I am now. It's been quite a journey." Lee adds that her nursing journey has been a labour of love. "Every step of the way, I made the decision to move because I wanted to be challenged and learn something new," she says. "Today, the opportunities are endless for nurses coming out of school. When I graduated, it was a different environment — you just wanted to have a job. There are more incentives now." With over a quarter-century of experience under her belt, she is now putting the many lessons she's learned into practice. "I think it's important for leaders to lead by example. It's important to get to know the staff and let them get to know you," she says. "As a leader, you need to be transparent as it's important for developing a high level of trust as a team." Support is also important, says Lee. "As leaders, we need to create an environment where people feel they can always ask questions," she says. "Our job is to help staff do things like navigate difficult conversations with patients. That support makes a huge difference with staff members." She notes that being a leader is a big responsibility. "My philosophy is that our drive to be a leader is to make things better so that case outcomes are better. To do that, we need to listen to patients and listen to teams for ideas," she says. "By listening, we revamped the whole way we deliver education to staff. There are more courses and better support so every team can provide better care. I've learned so much with every team I've been on." If there's a key quality a leader should possess, Lee says it's empathy. "It's huge. Leaders need to be empathetic, compassionate and supportive — and listen to their team to see what they're going through and listen to their ideas," she says. "The rewards outweigh the bad in this profession. We need to celebrate our victories together." After all her years of nursing, she remains passionate about her job. "I've never once thought of leaving," Lee says. "I've been lucky to have the opportunities I've had and to have worked with many great teams and supportive leaders." LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP Patrice Lee represents the third generation of nurses in her family. (Photo submitted) BY JENNIFER MCFEE A Prairie Mountain Health psychiatric nurse is marking a milestone 50 years in her career, and she still feels passionate about her profession. Betty Frykas started her intensive two-year training program in 1972 at Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC). In 1974, she graduated from nursing school in a class of about 40 students. She launched her career as a staff nurse on admission to chronic and geriatric wards. "I started in the days of carrying a ring of skeleton keys. There was not a computer or cell phone in sight. We wore the pristine white uniforms, starched caps and those beautiful nurses' capes," she recalls. "At BMHC, we were family — teamwork came naturally and was essential. Our wards frequently had populations of 60-plus with only two nurses working, yet the work was always done, and we were happy. The hospital population at that time was approximately 600." Then, in 1979, Frykas relocated to The Pas, where she worked as a community mental health worker. "I worked alone for several years, travelling to Easterville, Grand Rapids, Moose Lake and Cormorant and provided service to The Pas. Those years were stressful, busy and difficult but so valuable to my personal growth and knowledge," she says. "Our team of one eventually grew to add another nurse and supervisor." In 1986, Frykas accepted a senior mental health therapist position in northeast Alberta. Along with the team there, she provided services to outlying areas, including CFB Cold Lake. Three years later, she returned to Manitoba after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She settled in Dauphin and worked for a few months in a child protection position with Child and Family Services before returning to the mental health program as a case manager. She stayed in that position until 2011 when Frykas retired from her role — but her retirement didn't last long. "After taking the weekend off, I was back as casual on a Monday evening in the mental health crisis position, where I've remained for the past 13 years, now in a 0.7 EFT position. I'm still in Dauphin, working for Prairie Mountain Health," she says. "We take direct calls from individuals in crisis and try to resolve their situation through talk therapy and implementing coping strategies. At times, we direct our callers to our local ER for a full assessment or utilize the services of the RCMP. In consultation with the doctor, we may recommend an admission when a severe mood disorder, psychosis or thoughts of self-harm are evident. We provide service after the regular office hours." Looking back at her five-decade career, Frykas has experienced the evolution of psychiatric nursing. "As we evolved to community nursing, it was mandatory at that time that all community mental health workers completed a long list of core modules, and many weeks were spent attending lectures, often week-long, followed by passing university-based exams," she says. "Our college (College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba) has always played an integral role in all RPNs maintaining professional conduct and standards through ongoing education and continued competency audits." For Frykas, some of the best parts of the job come from connecting with people while also building trust and rapport. She feels honoured that so many people have trusted her enough to share their stories and allowed her to help them on their personal healing journeys. "Being a good listener is of the utmost importance. We must accept that making changes in one's life is frightening and difficult," she says. "A lot of patience and empathy is needed to help patients overcome their fears and understand their resistance." And for anyone considering a career in psychiatric nursing, Frykas offers a few observations gleaned over the past 50 years. "Psychiatric nursing is a very rewarding career," she says. "Every aspect of the job tests your patience and understanding of human behaviour — and it challenges you. It's definitely not boring." As she prepares to wind down towards a second attempt at retirement this fall, Frykas reflects on her rich and varied career. "It's been an incredibly exciting journey. I will greatly miss the years I dedicated to the profession and many clients I've hopefully helped along the way," says Frykas, adding that she has no regrets. "I still love and am passionate about challenges, but after 50 years, it's time to pass the torch on, don't you think?" PSYCHIATRIC NURSE MARKS 50-YEAR MILESTONE Betty Frykas has been a psychiatric nurse for 50 years. (Photo submitted)

• Cover