The purpose of this project is to reduce falls that are occurring on two specific floors of Garry J. Armstrong Long Term Care Home (GJA). This placement worked to promote better health outcomes for residents living in the home through collaboration with Elizabeth Bruyere, Algonquin College and GJA. This was done by identifying gaps between Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) “Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls” (RNAO, 2017) and the institution’s policies and procedures. From the gap analysis, important gaps were outlined such as education, communication, and collaborative needs that, when addressed, could help promote better health outcomes for residents.
Reaction All Years
The purpose of our community project, in collaboration with Ottawa Public Health and their social media team, was to engage young adults and gather their perspectives on flu vaccines. Our overarching goal was to raise awareness about the importance of flu vaccinations and to educate young adults on the risks of flu, the benefits of vaccination, and how to protect themselves and their communities. Through targeted social media campaign (via Instagram) and active engagement with the younger population, our project aimed to promote informed decision-making and encourage widespread flu vaccine uptake among this demographic.
creating a survey to evaluate community needs of those living with diabetes in Ottawa.
Our purpose was to create an up-to-date list of breastfeeding, circumcision, and tongue-tie resources within the Ottawa region. This verified list will help Ottawa Public Health nurses refer breastfeeding parents and families with newborns to proper services based on their needs and different criteria. We contacted various service providers around Ottawa by email or phone to verify critical information about how to assess these services. Once we verified each service, we compiled our information into a comprehensive and organized document which will eventually be added to the Ottawa Public Health Healthy Growth and Development Wiki page. The nurses use this Wiki page to find evidence-informed information, resources and services for their clients.
Our project took place at Sandy Hill Community Health Centre from September 12, 2023, to December 5, 2023. We were tasked with planning and implementing a catch-up immunization program for adults aged 65 and older who had missed their Shingrix and Pneumovax 23 vaccinations. Decreased vaccine uptake became more significant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is worrisome as older adults are at increased risk of pneumonia and shingles. Our responsibilities included:
- Researching the diseases (Shingles and Pneumococcal infections) and their impact on health.
- Gaining a thorough understanding of the vaccines (Shingrix and Pneumococcal 23).
- Addressing vaccine hesitancy.
- Collecting patient data for individuals aged 65 and older who hadn’t received these vaccinations.
- Conducting phone outreach to book vaccination appointments.
- Administering vaccines to clients.
This project aimed to increase immunization rates among this age group, reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, and contribute to the overall health and well-being of our clients and the community.
We interviewed families who partook in a perinatal parent support program to determine its effect on their parenting knowledge and compared survey data from the past year, with the goal of helping to improve the program.
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s Prompt Clinic (The Prompt Clinic) tasked University of Ottawa nursing students to develop a client survey. This survey’s purpose was to receive feedback on the clinic’s ability to provide a safe space for people seeking mental health treatment to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. This is the first time the Prompt Clinic has received any feedback on the care provided. Participants expressed their thoughts on how they were treated at the clinic and any barriers they encountered. Working together with nurses and coordinators of the Prompt Clinic, the students developed a 5-minute survey. The students met every Tuesday from September 12th, 2023 to December 5th, 2023 to develop this survey.
In our project, ‘Person-First Documentation: Fostering Empathy and Inclusivity in Substance Use Health,’ we explore the importance of person-first language and non-stigmatizing terminology in medical and nursing documentation related to substance use health. Our research explores the power of language and its impact on the quality of care provided to individuals seeking support for their substance use health needs. Through this project, we aim to inspire healthcare professionals to adopt these language practices, creating a more understanding and supportive environment within a substance use health context.
We have been working with Compassionate Ottawa for our community nursing placement. They offer grief and bereavement workshops to members of the community to help them understand the concept of grief, the grieving process, and how to interact with those who are grieving. We have helped them develop a survey that will be sent to participants after 3 months to evaluate the content of the workshop and how participants feel related to their knowledge and comfort surrounding the topic and grief.
Food insecurity is a significant issue in our community, and with the increasing economic inequities in Ottawa, it has become a challenge for many to afford healthy food. The Parkdale Food Center’s Mino’Wessini location is a non-traditional food bank that offers a grocery program using a choice model of food distribution to be able to offer their clients, uniquely called “neighbours”, a traditional grocery experience. Mino’Wessini only offers healthy, nutritious options to their neighbours, following the recommendations from the Canada’s Food Guide. In 2020, the Parkdale Food Center developed an in-house points system where this food is “priced” with points and each family is allocated a certain amount of points per month, based on the number of people in their household. With these points, the neighbours are able to “buy” the groceries and have the freedom to decide what and how much they want. The original points system was developed using Ottawa Public Health’s Nutritious Food Basket recommendations for the average monthly cost of groceries. The Algonquin College BScN students were tasked with evaluating this point-system and providing recommendations to better reflect the current prices in grocery stores, nutritional guides and community needs.