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Congratulations to Helen Yoxon, second place winner of the 15th Annual Nursing Hero award presented by Hospital News!
Helen's dedication and hard work during the COVID-19 Pandemic is showcased in this excerpt. See the full nomination on the Hospital News website.
Nursing heroes: are they born or are they made? Perhaps nursing heroes show up just when you need them the most.
It was late April 2020 when reports began surfacing of the dire situation in the city within long term care facilities hardest hit by the pandemic. The homes were struggling. Residents were suffering and dying. Staff were off sick or exhausted from the demands. Our facility was asked to support a local long term care facility meet the needs of the residents. Yikes, we are a pediatric hospital! What do we know about caring for the elderly? Where do we start? "How can I help?" came a cry from Helen Yoxon, our well-loved and seasoned Nurse Manager of our Palliative Care program and also Manager at our sister facility, Roger Neilson House, a pediatric palliative care home. Before we knew it, Helen's charismatic enthusiasm and gentle but firm power of persuasion had a plan taking shape.
Using a list of interested volunteer staff, Helen called each staff individually explaining the situation, the roles she was trying to fill and worked with the staff to find a suitable schedule. Managers who were reluctant to release staff to volunteer for long term care were won over by Helen's relentless determination, positive attitude and her passion to help our elderly. Within days, Helen had built a schedule. She called staff before their shift and after their sift. She asked "How did it go? How can I help you? Do you have what you need?" A site visit soon followed. "I want to make sure the staff are ok and that they feel safe. This is all so new for them. I want them to know someone is here for them."
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Helen, as a seasoned RN will retire one day. She will look back on her years as a front line RPN, RN, unit Care Facilitator, Trauma Coordinator and Manager. She will remember the young nurses she supported and the patients and families she consoled. She will remember the time she spent in a long-term care facility during the 2020 pandemic. These will be chapters in the story of her nursing career. But Helen will also be a chapter in the lives of those she touched during COVID-19. Long-term care team members, leaders, residents and families will remember Helen. Her pediatric and adult hospital colleagues who were asked to help the long-term care facility will remember Helen. We will all remember and we will be grateful that Helen came by with her hero cape just when we needed her most.
Nominated by: Mary MacNeil, Director Nursing Practice, Education & Clinical Technology, Simulation Program, Vascular Access Team and Scheduling Office, CHEO.