New specialized surgical nurse program offered at Headwaters | Citizen of Orangeville

June 14, 2024 · 0 Comments

By Paula Brown

Headwaters Health Care Center (HHCC) is helping surgical nurses advance their careers by offering a new specialist in-house training program.

With funding from the Surgical Pathway Fund, which helps hospitals retain and empower healthcare professionals who support surgical patients, as well as a partnership with five hospitals in the North Simcoe Muskoka region, Headwaters Hospital has developed an internal training program.

“Our investment through the Surgical and Diagnostic Imaging Efficiency and Innovation Fund is helping Headwaters significantly increase the number of surgeries performed each week, while reducing wait times and improving the quality of life of residents. more families from Dufferin-Caledon, so that they can return to the country. activities that matter most,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon.

The program is designed for Headwaters nurses who aspire to gain specialist skills to work in the operating room or post-anesthesia recovery room (PACU). The program is equivalent to surgical nursing college requirements and is available to Headwaters nurses at no additional cost.

According to Headwaters, the hospital was able to accelerate surgical training for nurses by 12 months through the on-the-job training program.

“As a nurse at Headwaters, I sought out this program internally for my personal growth and development. I loved the opportunity to receive flexible in-house training that fit my current schedule and personal life. I was able to train as a brush nurse in the operating theater at Headwaters, and I am also trained in pre-operative outpatient surgery and endoscopy. Now I am able to see the full circle of nursing care, from investigation, consultation, treatment, surgery and recovery,” said Kayla Flores, a licensed practical nurse who has worked at Headwaters for two years.

One benefit of the specialty training program is that it will enable the hospital to address existing health human resource challenges, including wait times for surgeries and procedures.

Headwaters said through investment in surgical nurse career growth, they were able to offer more surgical appointments to patients and operate at full capacity.

“This investment in our surgical teams means Headwaters patients can receive faster care from more highly skilled surgical practitioners. With funding from the province, we are aiming high by offering more surgical procedures to our patients,” said Alean Jackman, Director of Obstetrics and Ambulatory Surgical Services.

The in-house training program is also part of Headwaters’ strategy to retain and upskill the hospital’s nurses. Headwaters’ surgical services and clinical training teams are training their second cohort of nursing staff.