Face to face with...

It feels like our hospital has its own soul: everyone knows everyone else; everyone is heading in the same direction. I can't wait to see the whole redevelopment project at Lachine. After the expansion, we'll be able to offer even better care to the community.

You're an licensed practical nurse. What's the difference between a nurse and an licensed practical nurse?

The training is different. To become an licensed practical nurse, you must study two years to earn a Secondary school vocational diploma (DEP) in nursing, whereas to become a nurse, you must study a minimum of three years to obtain a Diploma of college studies (DEC). In practice, this means that there are certain procedures that licensed practical nurses aren't authorized to do, like administering intravenous medication.

Where do you work at the Lachine Hospital?

I work with out-patient visits, so I help patients of all ages who come for a follow-up after a visit to the Emergency or for an appointment with one of our different specialists in surgery, plastic surgery, ENT or ophthalmology.

Describe a typical day in Ambulatory Services

I get my schedule a day or two in advance. Often, our days are divided in two. Today, for example, I worked in Ophthalmology in the morning and in the ENT clinic in the afternoon. I welcome patients, bring them up to speed on the procedures they'll be undergoing, and prepare the medical instruments. On Tuesdays, I sometimes have a bit more time, which I put to use by organizing the five examination rooms: I restock drugs, replace out-of-date products, check instruments, etc.

What's really fun is seeing how different kinds of treatment evolve and being really close to the patients as they get better. We know our patients, and our patients know us, too. That's what is really great.

What led you to choose your career?

I had a student job working as an attendant at a retirement home and I really liked being with people. When I finished my DEP, I applied for a hospital job and ended up here. You learn a lot about long-term care in school, but not quite as much about care in a hospital setting, so I learned a lot on the job. I'm coming up on ten years working at Lachine, six of those in Ambulatory Services.

So you know the hospital well.

It feels like our hospital has its own soul: everyone knows everyone else; everyone is heading in the same direction. I can't wait to see the whole redevelopment project at Lachine. After the expansion, we'll be able to offer even better care to the community.