Kia Ora CKW team.
In my role I speak to a lot of people. This week, as it is National Volunteers Week, I had the privilege to engage on a personal level and thank a number of our volunteers.
These people give the greatest gift of their time to us at CKW, to make our patients and our community entry and journey through our services easier. They are amazing. They show such compassion, respect, professionalism and patient/community centredness in the work they do for us.
- “I can’t speak higher of the team on 2A, they have been phenomenal in their care.”
- “My experience with your team was one of overwhelming compassion and consideration for both my Dad and the never-ending flow of friends and relatives that visited during his final weeks.
- “The care provided by the clinical teams in the Emergency Department, Ward 4D and finally Palliative Care was genuine and supportive.
- “The Patient Support Services and Food Services teams were thorough and respectful, the food was of a high standard and more importantly the approach to engaging with Dad and visitors (especially in Palliative Care) was compassionate and respectful. The Administration Officer in Palliative Care (Hunter) is an absolute superstar with a cheerful and compassionate disposition which is well suited to the environment in which she works.”
I was, however, disappointed to receive some awful feedback this week about communication from staff towards patients and colleagues that fell well short of expectations.
The feedback I received was about us burdening our patients with our own issues, advising them of how many days and hours we had worked, that people were busy and being derogatory to them (the patients) in regards to why they were seeking care from our services and being overtly derogatory about other staff and services.
As a health care professional at heart, I try to always have respect for others’ position, reality and have compassion for all.
Let’s be frank, no matter how bad our day is, it is better than those who are experiencing a health crisis or issue that has bought them to our services. We all have a critical role in providing compassionate and efficient care to individuals during their most vulnerable moments.
It is imperative that we recognise the impact our words and actions can have on the overall patient experience and trust, as well as on our own wellbeing and teamwork dynamics/culture.
Creating a respectful and supportive environment for our patients contributes to their healing process and facilitates better outcomes. Your words and actions hold the power to transform the lives of those we care for.
These behaviours, as reflected to me, are not within our values or professional behaviours expected of health care professionals. Please remember that your words and actions hold the power to transform the lives of those we care for – both positively and negatively.
Vale Dr Liana Tanda
This week we received the sad news that Dr Liana Tanda (Aitchison) has passed away following a battle with cancer.
Our sincere condolences go to her beloved husband Stephen and children, her parents and sister, family, friends, and Liana and Stephen’s Metro North colleagues.
An obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Tanda was a dedicated advocate for gynaecological care and an expert in vulval disorders, which was the focus of a clinic she established at Caboolture Hospital.
She was generous in sharing her expertise with clinicians and was known as someone who got on with the job without a fuss.
Liana worked at Caboolture since 2008 and in her private practice. She dedicated a large part of her 29 years of medical career to Queensland Health, including a period at RBWH where she and Stephen met. Liana made an enormous impact on the patients she cared for and the staff she worked with.
The loss of a friend and colleague is tragic and I ask that you please look out for each other in this difficult time and encourage any staff who need support to talk to your line managers and make use of the staff wellbeing support services available.
Celebrating the life of Dr Liana Tanda
Tuesday 28 May 2024, 11am at The little flower Catholic Church Kedron
Please wear a splash of purple as requested by Liana’s family.
Note the funeral will be for all who wish to attend and there will be a private burial afterwards for family.
You told us that you don’t receive feedback on your performance.
We interpreted this to mean your managers were not providing feedback to you.
We identified that Performance Development Plans were not being completed.
We have in response made sure that managers report monthly on the completion of Performance Development Plans (PDP).
PDPs are an important opportunity for you to:
receive feedback on your performance at work,
provide feedback about the workplace and your manager to them,
seek support to make you successful and grow your career.
As a directorate, CKW is currently at 63.8 per cent compliance. This is below our expectations!
If you have not had your PDP, please approach your manager and ask for an appointment to complete this important process. If you cannot seem to arrange this, please let us know so we can help facilitate this.
Do you have other ideas on how we can continue to make CKW a great place to work? Please send me a message using the ‘Ask Karlene’ link below.
Celebrating Volunteers Week in fine style!
We celebrated National Volunteers Week in fine style this week!
To show appreciation for our volunteers, a morning tea was held each morning this week to ensure we captured all our volunteers. Many thanks to Parker and Kirby for arranging these, particularly Kirby who made scones each day!
Volunteers have such a key role at Caboolture Hospital. Without their smiling face and helping hands, our patients and visitors would struggle to find their appointment or their loved one!
National Volunteers Week is at timely reminder how lucky we are to have these people with us at CKW helping staff, patients and the community. Please take the opportunity to thank a volunteer you pass in the hall today.
Palliative Care Week
This week was a busy time of celebration – with us also celebrating Palliative Care Week!
This was the first Palliative Care Week celebration for the CKW inpatient Palliative Care team. Caboolture Hospital previously offered some palliative care services in conjunction with colleagues at Redcliffe Hospital. We now have a dedicated team and new home on level 3 at Caboolture Hospital, led by NUM Rosie Trent and Acting Clinical Nurse Consultant Jacinta McInnes.
On Monday, it was great to join the team for an afternoon tea and talk with the multi-disciplinary staff that deliver palliative care services at Caboolture Hospital, including Social Worker Charity, who made a very impressive cake for the official afternoon tea.
I was able to chat with her, as well as medical, nursing, allied health and administration staff, along from other staff across CKW that popped in. The Palliative Care team truly embrace a respectful multi-interdisciplinary team approach with the patient and family at the centre.
I also had the opportunity to welcome new Palliative Care consultant, Dr Amitoj Baath, who has joined us recently from Redcliffe Hospital.
Thanks to Jacinta who event-managed the week, including the Palliative Care Week display in the Caboolture foyer.
Paediatrics Update
We’re continuing to grow our paediatric leadership team at CKW. The Clinical Director Paediatric Emergency role is available on Smart Jobs. It closes on Tuesday (28 May). Please apply or share around your networks.
We will also soon recruit to a new, permanent Assistant Nursing Director (AND) Paediatrics role to further enhance and support the delivery of paediatric services to our community. This person will be responsible for overseeing inpatient paediatric services, Child Protection Services and senior paediatric nursing roles, including the Nurse Navigator.
The AND will also be responsible to work with paediatric outpatient services and the Paediatric Emergency Department to ensure the safe, effective and timely flow of Paediatric patients across their care continuum.
I expect this role will be out for recruitment next week. Watch my message for a link to the job advertisement.
You may have seen the Paediatric Review team on-site again at Caboolture Hospital this week. Thank you to everyone who assisted and provided information requested by the team to date.
It’s a large body of work but everyone is working to provide the best possible care to our young patients. We expect this review to come out mid-year.
Congratulations Janette!
Congratulations to Ward 3C ENAS Janette Rowling who was announced as the Enrolled Nurse/Enrolled Nurse Advanced Skills winner in the Metro North Nursing and Midwifery Awards last week.
Janette is an exceptionally experienced ENAS with wealth of experience in palliative care and has a strong focus on supporting the team and developing skills across all Ward 3C staff to build capacity in delivering care to our palliative cohort.
She leads by example and shares knowledge and wisdom whilst being open to other people’s perspectives and experience.
Congratulations, Janette. Well-deserved recognition.
National Reconciliation Week
Next week is National Reconciliation Week. This is an important week for all of us to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievement and consider how each of us can contribute to reconciliation.
Do you know about stolen wages and reparation?
I was interested to hear that Redcliffe Hospital was holding an acknowledgement of stolen wages. Upon investigating, I found out that stolen wages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders were used to build some of the hospital. This history is so important to understand, you can find out here.
At CKW, our Reconciliation Action Working Group will host an event for National Sorry Day, Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and National Reconciliation Week at Caboolture Hospital on Monday (27 May) from 10am-12pm.
On Thursday 6 June, the Metro North Senior Executive Team (SET) is holding an All Staff Forum at Caboolture Hospital from 11.30am – 12.30pm in the Lecture Theatre.
This is an opportunity for staff to come and talk to SET, hear updates, ask questions and provide feedback.
I encourage you to attend in person or tune in via Microsoft Teams.
Connecting with our community
The Caboolture BPW Business Expo at the Morayfield Sports and Events Centre was a wonderful opportunity for Caboolture Hospital and staff to connect with the community.
The team looked great in their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polo shirts.
Thanks so much for Stella, Tracey, Anne, Parker and Judy for working at the stall.
We had such a great response from the community and I’m keen to attend more events soon!
10,000 Steps Challenge
As another week passes, so too does another great effort by the Queensland Health 10,000 Steps Challenge CKW Executive team – Clt+Alt+Elite (right).
Team Leader David Thompson said many of the team were working behind a desk most of the day, so the step challenge was an opportunity to encourage team members to get up and moving.
“We’re keeping up our step count by adding in some morning/afternoon walks around work, going on walks during lunch breaks, walking to visit someone at work rather than picking up the phone and even chasing after kids at home. It all adds up!” David said.
“I’m excited to see how committed each team member is in their step counts and reaching their step goals. Seeing our team climb the ladder motivates us to keep going and take on new challenges.
“We have become aware of a challenge within the challenge. We need to make sure that we are ahead of the TPCH Executive Team! So far, we are tracking well but keeping an eye on them. (They may not know we are competing!)
“I want Clt+Alt+Elite to be best executive team in Metro North!”
There’s still time to sign up, create, or join a team and Get Moving Together. The challenge runs until Friday 31 May.
Key Appointments
Welcome to Dr Lachlan Gordon, working three days per week as a Deputy Director of Medical Services for CKW.
He will be focusing on medical workforce and supporting the medical staff in recruitment and retention of both junior and senior medical workforce.
Dr Gordon joins us from Cairns and Hinterland HHS where he was Acting Director of Medical Services and was responsible for several successful initiatives to recruit medical staff.
Dr Helen Vickery-Smith is also a CKW DDMS three days per week. I enjoy Tuesdays when Lachlan and Helen are both in the office!
Positions Vacant
We have a number of key roles advertised – please send them to your amazing friends and colleagues (past and present).
Director Nursing and Midwifery
Nurse Navigator – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (Identified)
General Practitioner – Bribie Island Satellite Hospital Minor Injuries and Illness Clinic
Nurse Navigator Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Satellite Health Hub (Identified)
We will soon advertise to recruit permanently to the Medical Director for Emergency, Kilcoy, Woodford and the satellite hospital Minor Injury and Illness Clinics role.
I will include a link to the role on Smart Jobs in my message once it is available online.
Kilcoy Fete Tomorrow!
I just want to remind you all of the Kilcoy Fete tomorrow, run by the Kilcoy Hospital Auxiliary, which plays a huge role in supporting us at Kilcoy Hospital.
I am told this is a wonderful community event with great cake!
I am looking forward to attending with my boys but am reminded you need cash and apparently have to be early if you want the cake as it sells out!
If you are looking for a day out, come to the beautiful Kilcoy for a drive.
The event starts at 9.30am with the auction starting at 12pm.
Immunisation
We have seen lots of staff and patients with respiratory illness. Now is the time to get vaccinated if you have not already… no one wants to get the flu!
Reflection
I was at The Common Good café earlier this week getting a few coffees and one of the lovely team there asked if I would like a cup tray. I said yes and she handed me this – it’s a milk carton with holes cut in the top to hold coffee cups.
It can also be used and returned many times. What a great idea towards sustainability and decreased waste!
As I finish, I want to return to compassion and link it to civility (showing regard for those around us, being polite, courteous and thoughtful), with a reminder that you play a critical role in providing compassionate care to our community in their most vulnerable moments.
Your words and actions have a significant impact not only patient experience, but also on their trust of us and CKW and therefore their long term engagement with us and ultimately their long term health.
Your words and actions also impact on your well-being and your teams wellbeing and culture.
Civility in healthcare has been highlighted in research as a success factor to improve patient outcomes and work environment, and a key impact on negative outcomes, including patient safety and satisfaction, negative team outcomes leading to increased turnover and burnout (Bochatay et al., 2018; Rosenstein, 2011, Clark et al., 2012; Rosenstein & O’Daniel, 2008).
I highly recommend you watch this TED Talk to further hear how you can change our culture, respect and trust.
Thanks to Paul Kemp who shared this research with me, I love to read so please feel free to share relevant information with me on Ask Karlene.
Quotes
“Civility is the art and act of caring for each other.” Deborah King.
“If you want others to be happy practice compassion, if you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama.