Annual Campaign – Have a Heart

Dear Friend,

Caring for people that are very ill and cannot take care of themselves is very gratifying to me as a health care provider. Hello, my name is Donna Osachuk and I am the Clinical Nurse Educator in the Monitored Care Unit at Eagle Ridge Hospital (ERH).

The Monitored Care Unit is where I see the most ill patients; those who need the highest level of attention and monitoring. As a passionate nursing professional I take pride in providing compassionate care to my patients each day. Part of providing the best care is having the most up-to-date equipment available to me and creating the conditions for science and compassion to join hands.

One of the tools needed to provide the highest level of care to patients in the Monitored Care Unit at ERH is a monitored hospital bed.

Monitoring patient health details, such as weight, is critical to getting well. This monitored care bed features a built-in weight scale and saves patient data so nurses can follow their patient’s fluid levels and assess their status rapidly. The ‘air’ mattress in this bed has some critical features. It actually circulates air to prevent devastating skin issues from immobility and can also be adjusted to suit each patient, individually. The mattress can add a light percussion, or tapping of the ribcage to keep blood flowing thereby preventing blood clots or pneumonia, which would further worsen the patient’s condition.

Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation has launched its annual Have a Heart Campaign and set a goal of raising $40,000 for the purchase of one technologically advanced monitored hospital bed.

A monitored care bed will improve the care offered to those in our community who are suffering with life threatening illnesses and require carefully monitored, round the clock treatment. To help you imagine how the right tools facilitate a patient’s ability to heal, physiologically and psychologically, I want to tell you a story about a patient named Tony.

Tony came to ERH and spent 10 days in our Monitored Care Unit. He was suffering from sepsis (infection in his blood) and his health was compromised by pre-existing medical conditions as a result of a stroke. Tony’s illness severely decreased his mobility thus the nursing team needed to closely monitor the trends in his condition to prevent further deterioration and onset of other medical complications. In a situation like this, the more tools available for Tony’s care, the more likely Tony will get well. Sadly, Tony’s story is but one of several I experience here at ERH in the Monitored Care Unit each week.

As a nursing professional I knew Tony’s immobility could lead to a “failure to thrive”. “Failure to thrive” is when a patient feels so sick that they cannot even sit up in bed without assistance. A lack of mobility can turn into a psychological barrier to recovery. Having a well-equipped bed that can move a patient into a sitting position easily several times a day enhances the quality of life for a patient like Tony. The patient feels good about a more normal way of being and as his nurse; I can help celebrate those seemingly small milestones by encouraging Tony’s expectation to recover. Having Tony feel better about himself and providing him a sense that his recovery is moving forward, is very important to me. In fact, I have three (3) patients that would benefit from such a bed in the Monitored Care Unit right now; but we do not have one.

The monitored care bed will help, not only patients like Tony, but many others who are experiencing life threatening illnesses such as; congestive heart failure, complex medical cases, and frail immobile patients.

Making a difference is why I chose nursing. Here at Eagle Ridge Hospital, all of our nurses care about our patients and want them to recover as best they can from their illnesses. We appreciate when our patients say “we felt like we were cared for and made to feel welcome at Eagle Ridge Hospital”.

I am honoured to be the spokesperson for the Have a Heart Campaign and have already made my personal financial commitment. Will you join me and please give from your heart with a gift today to help buy this new technologically advanced bed?

In appreciation of your donation and commitment to improving the comfort and care provided in our Monitored Care Unit at your community hospital, Eagle Ridge, please join us on February 9th for our annual Have a Heart Tea.

Sincerely,

Ms. Donna Osachuk, RN
Clinical Nurse Educator
Monitored Care Unit, Eagle Ridge Hospital 

P.S. Your meaningful gift will help everyone in our community; your family, friends and neighbours.