Krista Blakely
Clinical Scholar, A3 and A4
I’m Krista Blakely and my career as an RPN started at QCH 13 years ago. After completing my consolidation on the medicine floor, I knew I had landed exactly where I was supposed to be.
After spending 10 years on A3 (five of which as a float nurse) and a year and a half in the ICU during the pandemic, I had the tools and courage I needed to expand my scope. The team-work mentality fueled my drive to advocate for leadership opportunities for RPNs. I worked with Nursing Professional Practice (NPP) for 6 months as a Champion for rolling out the Change in Scope of Practice for RPNs. Now, I’m the Clinical Scholar for A3 and A4. I also temporarily support Park Place.
I was so fortunate to have had a wealth of experienced nurses beside me when I started. Not only did they educate and provide support, but they facilitated skills, critical thinking, and confidence. I’m grateful for the opportunity to attempt to pay that forward and support our Nursing team!
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Valentin Sasu
RN, Med/Surg
Years before I was in nursing, I saw an ad promoted by an international organization. It showed a natural disaster in a city and all its people, but one, were running away. That one person was running towards the epicenter of the disaster. That person was a frontline worker. Today, I am associating myself with that person. Like them, I follow my calling regardless of the pandemic, natural disasters, or conflict. I believe that trust will move mountains. Especially during challenging times trust is won and not given. Through your skills, knowledge and values you must prove to your patients, your team, your leaders — and most importantly, to yourself — that you are reliable and trustworthy. Once you've earned that trust you have to maintain it.
I associate QCH with a "Swiss Watch" where everyone knows what they are doing — and they are doing it well. As a nurse I feel like one part of this healthcare mechanism and that makes me happy. With the increased acuity on C4, I have memorable moments every single shift, but I still remember my first few days on the unit. The new environment and processes were contributing to my levels of anxiety and stress, however, the C4 team was there for me helped me a lot. The strength of the C4 unit is its team and I am proud to be part of it.
I will never forget 2020, not because of the pandemic but because this is the year my son was born. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how we are going to live our lives. This is true for me as a nurse, for me as a father, for me as citizen. Stay positive people!
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Shannon Adams
RN, Childbirth Clinical Educator
I started working at QCH 13 years ago after I consolidated here in Labour and Delivery. I loved my consolidation so much and knew I wanted to continue my career here. I was hired into the Childbirth program and have worked on the unit ever since.
Now, I'm the Clinical Educator for the Childbirth program.
I love this hospital because of the community feel while still having all the amenities of a large hospital and because of the people who work here. I went casual few years back to work at another hospital to be closer to home, and I very quickly realized how much I missed QCH and the people here. I returned a short while later and felt like I was home again.
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Delaney Hopper
RN, Surgery
I was given the opportunity to complete my consolidation on our inpatient surgical floor with an incredible preceptor who taught me an abundance of skills and knowledge! I knew that I wanted to start my career on this floor at QCH! First off, the new hire orientation was extremely thorough- I was very impressed!
Starting on the unit has been nerve-racking and challenging, but I have quickly realized that my colleagues are supportive and friendly. QCH really embraces teamwork, which contributes to a community feel. My manager, Cindy, is incredible and extremely approachable.
I feel as though I can be myself at work and I feel motivated to learn in order to be better every day. It has been an excellent start to my career at the Queensway Carleton Hospital!
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Christoper and Matthew Romeo
RNs, Med/Surg
We’re Chris and Matt, two recent new RN grads working together on the medicine/surgery unit C4. As fraternal twins, we have been confusing our fellow coworkers. Originally from the east coast of Canada, we came to Ottawa to pursue our education.
Funny enough, we both chose to nurse, attended the same school, had the same placements, and now work together on the same unit. Even though we are very different we had many experiences of people confusing us — but not nearly as much as now with having masks covering up any features that distinguish us apart.
We chose to work at QCH based on the fun and numerous learning experiences we heard from friends and previous classmates. It seemed like the perfect fit for a new graduate nurse looking to expand and solidify their knowledge. Our coworkers have shown us generous support and amazing team dynamics every day on our unit. We hope to continue expanding, strengthening, and utilizing the nursing knowledge we acquired throughout nursing school and hope to branch into the critical care setting later down the road in our careers.
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Jessica Mann
Extern
My name is Jess Mann and I am a fourth-year BScN student currently employed with our Extern program. It’s an amazing experience for nursing students and other healthcare students looking to enhance their comfortability in an encouraging clinical environment.
The Queensway staff have surpassed my expectations, contributing to a positive workplace with their compassion and readiness to teach. The mentors in this program have excelled at providing a strong support system, as well as exceptional learning opportunities throughout the hospital. I would highly recommend this position to any healthcare student and I truly look forward to continuing this program.
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