Still in nursing school, Laura jumped on the opportunity to work in a hospital setting during one of the most turbulent and unprecedented times in health care.

“There were so many unknowns, especially at the beginning of the pandemic,” says Laura, who joined Sunnybrook in April 2020. “I just felt like I was able to make the decision to jump in there… I wanted to be a part of it. I felt like I was in a position to be able to help,” she says.

The clinical extern program has been in place at Sunnybrook for a number of years, but was recently expanded when the pandemic was declared.

The program invites nursing students to work part-time as members of a health-care team, gaining hands-on patient care experience, while also supporting interprofessional teams that could benefit from additional support.

Before the pandemic, around five externs were hired at Sunnybrook each year. This year, 51 externs have joined our hospital care teams, with a goal to recruit a total of 75.

“Every day, all of the nurses I’ve worked with have been so thankful for everything I’ve been able to do for them. It’s neat to be in a position to help them out and also be able to learn from them,” says Laura.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed increased pressures on nurses across the health-care system as workload demands have increased, the patients they’re caring for are more critically ill, and as the country faces a growing shortage of nurses in the workforce.

Externs play a key role in supporting hospital teams, by providing direct patient care and clinical unit support. Their responsibilities and care tasks may include participating in patient assessments, taking vital signs, assisting with comfort measures and patient safety, supporting safe feeding, and more.

For Laura, it has been these opportunities to spend more time with patients that has made the externship experience so valuable for her.

“In an externship, it’s patient-focused. I need to make sure I’m doing what I need to do for the patients I’m assigned to,” she says. “That’s one of the things that’s been the most impactful for me.”

While externships are not integrated into a nursing student’s learning curriculum, the program functions as compliment to the education students receive through school, says Tracey DasGupta, Director of Interprofessional Practice at Sunnybrook.

“Externships enable students to move into a clinical setting, become comfortable in this setting and become members of an interprofessional care team within the hospital,” says Tracey.

“It’s a win-win as externs become a part of our care teams, they help support patient care and help maintain safe, quality care within the hospital,” she says.

For Laura, participating in the externship program has helped build her confidence as a new nurse, make connections, and has helped reassure her in her decision to pursue nursing as a career.

“The additional experience in the hospital gave me a ton of confidence as I was heading into my final semester of school, and again now as I am looking forward to starting out as an RN. I loved being part of the teams on each unit, and having the chance to learn from so many nurses and health-care professionals has been invaluable,” she says.

“I feel grateful to have found this opportunity.”

The post The win-win model of clinical externships appeared first on Your Health Matters.

They experienced a miscarriage and a failed fertility attempt before a successful fertility treatment. She had just gotten pregnant with her now-almost-due baby when she learned about Sunnybrook’s  MyChart – a personal health record system – at what she calls “a very important time.”

“When you’re pregnant you do a lot of testing, and before MyChart I wasn’t getting my health information the way I wanted to,” she says.

With MyChart, patients log into a secure, online system and have access to a wealth of their own personal and clinical health information: test results, lab reports, doctors’ notes, medical imaging, as well as upcoming appointment details; conveniently located in one place.

For Jennifer, it’s been a “game-changer.”

“Even just with the simple things, it’s been so useful,” she says.

She cites a visit to her obstetrician-gynecologist, who was having trouble locating Jennifer’s ultrasound imaging.

“I already had my report. I literally showed her on my phone,” says Jennifer. “I’m sure she had the information, but it was also a busy clinic day. Having access to these records saved us both a lot of time,” she says.

Maureen Reilly is also a MyChart user, as well as a respiratory therapist in Sunnybrook’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Maureen used the application often when receiving treatment for breast cancer. She found such value in the tool that she often encourages NICU parents to sign up.

“It’s been really helpful for NICU parents. Babies are born at Sunnybrook, but then may be transferred to a community hospital, and after that they will have a paediatrician. These other health-care providers are then able to have access to the information that’s in MyChart, including the baby’s medical imaging, lab results and referral letters,” she says.

Maureen’s experience with electronic health records – both as a patient and health-care provider – gives her a unique perspective on the benefits of access to electronic health records.

For example, she has found the tool to be helpful in breaking down language barriers in health care. For people who do not speak English, or who speak English as a second language, access to personal medical records can be invaluable.

“Sometimes people are embarrassed to ask detailed questions, or to tell their health-care teams that they don’t understand,” says Maureen. “Electronic records allow these patients to understand their health-care on their terms. They can show the records to a trusted friend or family member, who can read the doctors notes and test findings to them,” she says.

Even for people who do read and speak English fluently, access to electronic health records can help these patients and their family members better understand their illnesses and treatments.

“It’s very comforting,” says Persefoni Tzortzidis, who used MyChart to access her husband’s personal health records during his experience with cancer.

“A lot of times when these things happen you feel really lost, and don’t understand what’s happening… [With MyChart] I wasn’t left out of the loop, and I was able to examine step-by-step what my husband was going through and explain it to him in a knowledgeable way,” she says.

Giving patients access to their own health records allows them to be in the driver’s seat – which, to Jennifer, creates a “more proactive health-care experience.”

“It puts me in charge of my own health, and there’s a confidence aspect to that,” she says.

“It has opened up conversations; it’s changed my health care experience.”

The post Electronic health records enhance the patient experience appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Bernice and Eddie Graf have been in love for 71 years.

Their seven-decade romance began overseas in the army, where Eddie was a musician in an Army Show, and Bernice was a dancer in another.

They had only known each other a few months before marrying in England on New Year’s Day of 1946.

“We thought we’d start the year right,” she said of their new-years marriage. “It’s been the best years of my life ever since.”

Bernice and Eddie Graf on their wedding day in 1946

They’ve come a long way since they were 20-somethings performing for troops in the army. Today, Eddie and Bernice (also known as “Bunny”) are 95-years-old, and both live together at Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre.
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“I’ve always loved him and I always will, right to the end”

– Bernice Graf, married to husband Eddie for 71 years

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“I was never a girl to get married — never,” says Bernice, holding her husband’s hand in the Veterans Centre’s “quiet room.”

“But I thought: he’s worth it,” she says, smiling. “Yeah, he was worth it.”

It’s Eddie’s “brilliance” in creating musical arrangements that captured Berince’s heart.

“He didn’t ever write one that wasn’t suitable for dancing,” she says.

From then on, it was history.

Bernice and Eddie Graf hold hands in their room at Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre

And what a history they’ve written. Seven kids, 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and to top it all off, Bernice and Eddie have never gotten into a single fight. Not once.

“We sort of agree on everything, which is wonderful,” says Bernice. “It’s hard to get somebody like that,” she says, humbly acknowledging how lucky she and Eddie are to have found one another.

But it’s not just how well they get along that’s led to the love Bernice and Eddie share. It’s the little things, too.

Like the letters Eddie would send Bernice when he travelled. “They were always full of love and warmth,” she recalls.

Bernice does have some advice for couples hoping to romance long-term like she and Eddie have: “Tolerance and acceptance.”

“Accepting you as you are is very important,” says Bernice. “I think we always did [accept each other] from the beginning,” she says.

A love expanding across seven decades may seem unbelievable — maybe even impossible — but Bernice and Eddie’s story proves it can happen.

“I’ve always loved him and I always will, right to the end,” says Bernice.

More photos of Eddie & Bernice

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The post These veterans have been married for 71 years. This is their love story. appeared first on Your Health Matters.

But for those looking to escape the crying, screaming and the anxiety, there is another option: a needle-free vaccine that is administered as a nasal spray, now available for free for Ontario children and youth aged 2 – 17.

The vaccine requires one small spray into each nostril, an approach that can be much less terrifying to children who have developed a needle phobia.

Nasal spray flu shot device. (Image courtesy AstraZeneca Canada)

And here’s the kicker: nasal spray flu vaccines have been found to be more effective in kids aged 2 – 6 than the traditional, intramuscular flu vaccine.

According to Andrea Goncz, primary care registered nurse with Sunnybrook’s Academic Family Health Team, the nasal spray flu vaccine has been well-received by parents of young children.

“Parents don’t have to go through yelling and screaming at the flu clinic… and it’s such a tiny amount that the kids barely notice it. They giggle because I’m tickling their nose hairs,” she says.

There are, however, a few differences between nasal spray flu vaccines and the traditional flu vaccine – mainly, the forms of flu virus each vaccine contains.

The traditional flu vaccine contains dead flu virus, whereas the nasal spray flu vaccines contain weakened, live flu virus.

It’s important to note that the live flu virus in nasal spray flu vaccines is so weak that it will not cause the virus in those receiving the vaccine.

But while the live vaccine won’t cause the flu, it does place limitations on who is eligible to receive nasal spray flu vaccines.

Those who cannot receive nasal spray flu vaccines include: people with immune-compromising conditions, children with severe asthma, pregnant women, or people with egg allergies.

Nasal spray flu vaccines are available for use in people aged 2 – 59, but only shows higher efficacy than the traditional flu shot in children aged 2 – 6.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends use of live vaccines, like nasal spray flu vaccines, “in healthy children and adolescents 2-17 years of age.”

NACI also recommends use of live vaccines in healthy adults aged 18 – 59, but notes there is some inconsistent evidence that the traditional flu vaccine is more effective than nasal spray flu vaccines in people of this age group.

If you’re considering a nasal spray flu vaccine, talk to your health care provider to determine whether you / your child is eligible.

The flu is not just a “bad cold.” In fact, for those who are vulnerable, the flu can lead to complications, hospitalization and even death. Reduce your risk, and the risk of others, by getting your flu shot

The post No more needles? appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Meal prep is the practice of preparing a week’s worth of meals (usually lunches or dinners… or both!) in advance. Health food blogs and Instagram feeds have been buzzing about this trend, sharing tips and advice for creating the ultimate meal prep menus.

But how many of these tips are actually accurate? And how many of them are misconceptions?

We asked Registered Dietitian Annie Hoang to set the record straight, and help us separate the meal prep facts from fiction.

Myth #1: Eat protein – and lots of it!

A visual of the 25-25-50 rule

When you think about what to cook for lunch or dinner, the first thing your mind probably wanders to is protein – “We’re having chicken” or “We’re having steak.”

Protein is the part of a meal rarely forgotten, and is most usually the star of the dish. But really, there is so much more to a meal than protein.

In fact, protein should only be 25 per cent of your plate. Another 25 per cent should be starches. And the other 50 per cent? Wholesome, delicious, (yet usually forgotten) vegetables!

While this 25-25-50 rule is a good one to follow, be critical when doing so. Choose high-quality proteins and starches, like lean meats and whole grains, over lower quality options (bacon and white pasta, for example).

Pro tip: All vegetables are high quality, so enjoy a variety of vegetables. They can be fresh, frozen or canned.

Myth #2: If I don’t meal prep I won’t eat healthy

Don’t feel the need to have all of your lunches prepared for an entire week.

Some people work well doing so, and others do well preparing their meals for 3 – 4 days out of a week… and that’s perfectly fine.

As long as you stock up your fridge and pantry with healthy options, you can whip up quick, healthy meals instead of prepping days in advance.

So feel free to whip up a last-minute lunch in the evening, or to pack leftover dinner for lunch, too. As long as you are remembering to include your veggies, you’re golden.

Myth #3: Meal prep is all about strict, clean eating

It’s easy to become consumed with the strict healthy eating regimen that comes with meal prep – I mean, a quick #mealprep search on social media and hundreds of chicken-veggie-sweet-potato combos flood your feed.

It almost makes you feel bad if you don’t follow the same, strict, no-treats routine.

But research shows that keeping a regimented, health-food-only diet just doesn’t work. People want variety – to enjoy the tastes of different foods – it’s a part of how we’re wired.

So when you’re prepping your meals, be sure to plan for fun, luxurious foods too, and include them in your meals a couple times per month.

Love hollandaise sauce? Pour some on your eggs. Have a sweet tooth? Pack a couple squares of chocolate with your almonds.

Hoang suggests aiming for the 80/20 rule: 80 per cent healthy, nutritious foods to nourish your body, and 20 per cent fun foods to maintain the pleasure in eating.

By including these treats in our prepared meals, we’re giving our bodies permission to enjoy food, instead of depriving ourselves from it.

So go ahead and plan for little treats in your prepared meals – enjoyed in moderation, of course!

The post Meal prep myths debunked appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Sounds like a pleasant experience, doesn’t it?

Thankfully, the highly contagious illness is declining in Ontario – all thanks to the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine.

Last week, the Canadian Press reported the great success of the chickenpox vaccination program: that there has been a 71 per cent drop in children seeing the doctor, or visiting the emergency room, for chicken pox since the program launched in 2004.

The itch that was once like initiation into childhood is becoming less of a commonality, and more of a nostalgic remembrance for parents who battled the pox in their youth.

Below are four of many other examples of illnesses that vaccines have shown who’s boss:

Vaccines: they work

Polio

• Crippled tens of thousands of Canadians pre-vaccine
• Can permanently damage muscle-controlling nerves
• Because of immunizations, Canada has been polio-free for over 20 years

Diphtheria

• Previously the most common cause of death for children under 5
• Since vaccine was introduced:  100% decrease in the # of cases in Canada

Mumps

• Causes painful swelling in the cheeks and neck
• Thanks to immunizations, number of cases in Canada: decreased by 99%

Smallpox

• 30% mortality rate pre-vaccine
• Eradicated worldwide for more than 30 years

Sources: Public Agency of Canada, World Health Organization

More health tips at health.sunnybrook.ca

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For more information on vaccines and immunization schedules, visit the Public Agency of Canada’s website.

The post Vaccines work — Here’s the proof appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Below are some telltale ways to gauge whether or not the muscle pain you’re experiencing is normal:

The amount of pain you feel

Delayed muscle soreness means that you may feel muscle pain up to two days after your workout. This is normal, and in this case, it is important that you continue to move, as this helps remove the lactic acid from your muscles.

But if you are sore any longer than two days after exercise, it could be a sign that you worked out too hard, and should maybe scale back next time you hit the gym, Savona says.

Where you feel the pain

The location of the post-workout pain you are experiencing can also be a sign that you pushed your exercise limits. For example, if you did a leg workout, and you feel pain in your back or shoulders, this could mean that you overworked your legs. It can also signify that you did some of the leg exercises incorrectly, says Savona.

The type of pain you are experiencing

If your muscles are sore to the touch, or if they are swollen, red and/or bruised, these are sure signs that you over-exercised, says Savona.

Reducing pain while exercising

If you are new to exercising, the best way to reduce pain is by starting out slow.

If you are going to start weight lifting, start with 1-2lb weights, doing repetitions of 8-10 at one time, Savona says.  If you experience pain while doing any exercise, stop and reduce the weight you are using.

Start weight lifting three times per week for 20-30 minute sessions, leaving plenty of room for recovery time in between workouts.

Over time, as your exercise routine becomes easier, you can then begin to increase the weights you are lifting, increase the time you spend working out, or reduce your recovery days, she says.

The post Exercising: How much is too much? appeared first on Your Health Matters.