6
SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023
● THE FREE PRESS
NATIONAL NURSING WEEK
MAY 8-14, 2023
OUR NURSES. OUR FUTURE.
VernonYaskiw, James Wasio and Jacquie Williams graduated from the same class in 1992 and have worked together at Selkirk Mental Health Centre for 30 years. (Photo by Darcy Gosek)
A COMMUNITY OF COMPASSION
BY SARA LOCKE A large, stately building stands on the north side of Manitoba Avenue in the community of Selkirk. From the exterior, the 252-bed facility has an institutional feel — but inside, it’s filled with the warmth of dedicated and compassionate care teams, including a crew of long-time nursing colleagues who have made Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) their work home for the past 30 years. Jacquie Williams, Vernon Yaskiw and James Wasio are at the heart of the care team responsible for providing treatment, rehabilitation and support to inpatient residents of SMHC. “There’s a camaraderie here, like it’s our own little town,” said Jacquie Williams, a registered psychiatric nurse and the manager of the acute and acquired brain injury programs. “In many instances, you develop lifelong friendships with colleagues.” Williams — along with colleagues Yaskiw and Wasio — graduated in 1992 from the last class of the facility’s former School of Psychiatric Nursing and have worked within the walls of SMHC ever since. “Being a psych nurse, there are so many
amongst the care teams working at SMHC, which has pivoted its programming as society’s perspective on mental illness has evolved. “There was a time when SMHC was seen as the ‘end of the road,’ where individuals with complex case presentations end up, for custodial- type care,” said James Wasio, the third member of the 30-plus-year club and interim chief executive officer of the facility. “Over the last couple of decades, our approach has really evolved to embrace a ‘do with, not for’ recovery-orientated service model.” Working in the field for the past 30 years has offered Wasio a unique position from which to view the evolution of mental health. As the director of the facility’s forensic program, Wasio leads an area where integrated and comprehensive mental health services are provided for individuals who legally require psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation in a secure facility. “There is a lot of stigma attached to this population, and reintegration can be challenging,” Wasio said. “Being able to support them at their lowest point and seeing them improve and transition back into the community is very fulfilling and rewarding.” The changes in mental health services and supports over the three decades — including the most recent transition of SMHC to Shared Health in late 2022 — have given Williams, Yaskiw and Wasio countless opportunities to learn a variety of new skills, mentor the next generation of nurses and develop lifelong friendships. “Nursing offers so many opportunities to step outside the box,” Wasio added. “It’s incredible to see the differences you can make, directly with patients on the frontline as well as in leadership positions. There’s no other job I’d rather do.”
“Humans are extraordinary. As nurses, we hear stories that will make you laugh and others where you truly realize the impact of your role. Mental illness can be sad and arduous, but there are joyous moments in the vulnerability.” – Jacquie Williams
and recognize learning opportunities.” Yaskiw shares his own experiences, challenges and teaching moments with nurses when they join the program, encouraging them to shift their mindset from being “just a student.” “I ask them to start thinking of themselves as nurses,” Yaskiw said. “The first two years of nursing is about gaining confidence and building the foundation of your practice. They need to not only trust what they have learned but also trust the people around them enough to ask questions.” The mentorship role comes naturally to Yaskiw, who now recognizes that psychiatric nursing was his calling long before he entered a formal training program. “In high school, I was always the guy that people came to when they needed to talk. And I think, in this line of work, the difference between being good and great is the little pieces of who you are. You can teach processes and medications, but you cannot teach compassion or empathy.” Compassion and empathy are in high supply
avenues open to you,” Williams added. “You can move between the different programs, different positions and grow into supervisor or leadership roles. It’s those opportunities for new challenges that have kept many of us here for this long.” Williams started her nursing career working in the facility’s geriatric program, supporting
specialized care for elderly patients. “I look back on some of the simplest
interactions with geriatric patients that made such a distinct difference, that didn’t include medication or dressing care,” she said. “Just talking to them about their life or how many children they had. What a gift it was to be able to support them — and their families — through that journey.” Colleague Vernon Yaskiw, now the manager of the geriatric program and bed utilization, graduated with Williams and also plays a vital role in the training and development of the next generation of nurses. “Working at SMHC, nobody wears one hat,” Yaskiw said. “There’s a whole mentorship aspect of my role that allows me to help students grow
LEFT: Jacquie Williams points at James Wasio in the 1992 graduating class. (Photo by Darcy Gosek) RIGHT: Left to right: James Wasio, Jacquie Williams and Vernon Yaskiw.
Powered by FlippingBook