The daily work done by local caregivers received overwhelming community support during Nurse’s Week celebrations.
This included frontline caregivers, the nurses at St. Joseph General Hospital and staff at the nursing home and rehabilitation centre it operates.
The birth date for well-known nurse Florence Nightingale falls within Nurse’s Week, held May 6 to May 12, and is meant to acknowledge nurses throughout the world. At St. Joseph’s Hospital there are some 160 full and part-time nursing staff, according to Joey Lagace´ administrative assistant for the office of the chief nursing executive/director of clinical services.
Other nurses work at the adjacent St. Joseph Manor, the long-term nursing home and at the Oaks rehabilitation centre, all operated by St. Joseph.
“Thank you all for making our salute to the hardworking nurses even better,” he said of donations given by individuals and companies of prizes given to nurses during the week-long celebration.
St. Joseph Hospital organized some events for staff and random draws for prizes that went to nurses whose names were drawn from daily. As well, one of the nurse’s unions hosted a luncheon for staff.
“In the health care industry, it’s a very fast-paced environment. It was management’s way of saying thank you,” he said of events that took place during the week, including free coffee and cake on the first day of Nursing Week and the last day which was Nightingale’s birth date.
“We had 13 local businesses that were kind enough to make donations of prizes or goods,” he added.
Donors included In-Motion Fitness, NAPA Power Sports, Lyle’s No Frills, Foodland, Hall’s Pre-owned Vehicles, Northwoods Construction, Sarich’s Source for Sports, Soo Mill, Subway, Turner’s, Yanicks Muscle Factory, Tim Hortons, Shoppers Drug Mart, and some anonymous donors.
Carol Simon, and Reverand Dan Dean performed ceremonies services on a weekday in the Catholic faith which St. Joseph was founded on and operates under.
Lagace´said the support of the community was appreciated by staff.