Maria Plummer is an oncology nurse in the Odette Cancer Program and founder of Yewtwist, a tool that helps nurses disconnect tight intravenous (IV) and feeding tube connections safely and efficiently. She named the tool after the Pacific Yew tree because compounds derived from the tree’s bark are used in chemotherapy treatments to inhibit cancer cell growth. Yewtwist is currently available to help nurses deliver better patient care across North America.

Maria demonstrates how Yewtwist is used to disconnect a line.

What inspired you to develop Yewtwist and how has it impacted patient care?

I’ve been an oncology nurse for more than 30 years and have looked after thousands of IV lines. Nurses disconnect IV lines and feeding tubes multiple times a day and many of these lines are difficult to handle due to overtightening, their small size, or lack of grip. My experience inspired me to create a solution that would help my colleagues and I provide better care for our patients.

In my research, I found that nurses could lose anywhere from three to 30 minutes trying to disconnect a tight IV line. Nurses across North America often resort to using metal forceps or pliers, which could cause stress fractures that can damage the line and increase the risk of infection among patients.

Yewtwist addresses the many concerns that nurses have when disconnecting tight lines. Lines can often be disconnected in less than 10 seconds, and the tool adapts to different sizes and shapes. Yewtwist is made up of thermoplastic elastomer materials which won’t damage lines and provides additional grip. It’s also designed as single-patient use tool, which reduces the risk of infection and cross-contamination.

What advice do you have for nurses and other health-care professionals who want to launch a medical device or company to commercialize their offerings?

We are a very creative profession; we experience and feel the pain points in our job, see where there are inefficiencies and have a deep understanding of how improvements can be made. If there is an area of your role that you feel strongly about improving, you just need to go for it. When you get amazing feedback from colleagues and patients who benefit from your invention, the rewards are worth the challenges.

How did Sunnybrook enable you to commercialize Yewtwist?

Sunnybrook encourages innovation throughout the organization. Whether it’s through one of its manufacturing resources, or in my case, the invaluable support and guidance from my fellow nurses and Sunnybrook educators and supervisors, Sunnybrook played a critical role in getting Yewtwist into the hands of nurses around the world.

There are so many aspects to inventing a medical tool to bring to the market, and you often feel a lot of self-doubt while you’re going down this path. Sunnybrook’s commercialization landscape and drive to innovate patient care gave me fuel to keep going and turn my ideas for Yewtwist into reality.

The post Sunnybrook Inventors: Maria Plummer, RN appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“I wanted to learn more and to help people,” she recalls.

She says they were greeted with a warm east coast welcome.

“I was at first afraid to answer the phone when it rang, worried about the language barrier,” Bing said, “but people were so friendly and made us feel so welcome. People smiled on the street; people invited us for Christmas.”

Bing is now a nurse practitioner in Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program. Her experience, she says, has been very different to that of some Chinese people in Canada, particularly in recent years when reports indicate that incidence of anti-Asian racism has been on the rise.

“I have personally not experienced this and for that I am so grateful,” Bing said. “But we have all heard about these hate crimes, particularly against Chinese people. And these are often violent and partially motivated by COVID-19 pandemic and the fact the illness was first identified in China.”

After learning of the brutal killing of six Asian women in an Atlanta spa last March, Bing and her husband wondered how to speak to their three children about the issue of anti-Asian hate.

“Our children are Canadian. They were born here and have lived here their whole lives. But they too could be victims of anti-Asian racism. So, we spoke to them about how this is a risk for them because of their skin and their culture. And that we have to stand up together against this.”

The family decided they would go together to a Stop Anti-Asian Racism rally held last March in Nathan Phillips Square. They made signs, which they also shared with their neighbours, and made the trek downtown — where they were greeted with a sea of support.

Bing and her family at a Stop Anti-Asian Racism rally in Toronto in March 2021.

“It was a rainy day and hundreds of people came out. People from all backgrounds and cultures, all in support of Asian communities. It was a great reminder for us all that we are stronger together. We too have to stand up for other communities who suffer from racism and acts of hatred.”

Bing says Asian Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate diversity and to learn and support each other— something she says she’s felt throughout her now 15-year career at Sunnybrook.

“I say now that Sunnybrook is my hometown. I have received wonderful support from my colleagues, mentors and educators from when I started here as a registered nurse and throughout my continued schooling to become a nurse practitioner,” Bing said. “I would also like to express my gratitude to my previous and current managers and director for all their support and guidance. Without it, I will not be able to achieve my goals and continue to improve.”

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When Chandra Kafle and her family moved to Ontario from Nepal, she had a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She wanted to continue her nursing career in Toronto, so she set out to fulfill the additional educational requirements necessary to practice in Ontario. That journey brought her to Sunnybrook, where the support and encouragement she received helped empower her along the way. Chandra found her way to Sunnybrook while she was completing a program called “Academic Pathway for Nurses.” Following the completion of the 12 theory courses, she received a clinical placement in Sunnybrook’s K-Wing.

“I was really impressed with the opportunities for staff and for students,” says Chandra. “I knew I wanted to work for Sunnybrook.”

Chandra passed her Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) exam in May 2014. In order to meet the requirements to become a Registered Nurse (RN) in Ontario, Chandra enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree program while working part time at Sunnybrook’s Holland Centre.

She was a full-time student, a part-time RPN at the Holland Centre and also mom to a young child. Chandra says that time had its challenging moments.

“Because I did the program while I was working, one (challenge) was time management and then sometimes having the feeling that you are not there with your child all the time,” she says. “Finding the right balance between family life and my professional life was a little bit challenging.”

But Chandra was able to meet those challenges, complete her BScN and its requirements, and begin her career in Ontario as an RN on one of Sunnybrook’s cardiology units. Sponsored by the hospital, she was also able to complete a specialized critical care training program.

Today, Chandra is about to finish her Masters in Nursing, with a focus on leadership and health policy, and she is working as an interim Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), a leadership role she’s enjoying.

“I love it. I love teaching, learning new things, so I love this role,” she says. “I had limited knowledge regarding the role and responsibilities of an APN when I started in the position, but I had so much support from my colleagues; they helped me feel ready to take on the role.”

Watch: What it’s like to work in nursing at Sunnybrook

She says she didn’t know at the outset that it would be such a lengthy process to become an RN and complete her masters in nursing in Ontario, but even during the challenging times, her commitment to her education and the support she received kept her pressing forward.

“What kept me going was motivation from my family and my hunger for education and continuous growth,” says Chandra. “And I am so lucky that I am here at Sunnybrook. I got so much support from my peers, from managers and from the organization. That support has helped me grow personally and professionally and led me to where I am today.”

Are you an internationally educated nurse looking for more information?

The Sunnybrook Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Career Pathway helps IENs optimize the use of their specialized skills and expertise in the Canadian workforce by supporting quality patient care. For IENs who are eligible to work in Ontario, the pathway helps IENs transition successfully along a continuum of hospital roles into nursing roles.

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Kuldeep is an Extern Mentor Coordinator (EMC) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, and coordinates the onboarding for incoming clinical externs who join our interprofessional care teams while enrolled in nursing school. She also mentors new nurses in the New Graduate Guarantee (NGG) program, a Ministry of Health program that matches nurses with employers and provides nurses with a mentor and increased support in their new nursing role. After one year, participants are guaranteed a position with the employer.

Kuldeep, a registered nurse, says when she was offered the opportunity to become a mentor, she was happy to accept.

“What I love about it is that you bring someone into a personal space and you’re going to advocate and help nurture, coach, shape and guide them to have the best nursing start to their career,” Kuldeep says.

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In her role as a mentor for NGG nurses, Kuldeep and other mentors provide support to registered nurses and registered practical nurses by helping them transition to their role while they gain clinical skills and autonomy.

Since clinical externs are still nursing students, the mentoring process is slightly different. Mentors spend time ensuring externs understand their specific role on the interprofessional health-care team, and supporting them in their learning process.

“What I love about my role as a clinical extern mentor is that I can become a part of their learning journey. Sharing my clinical experiences and all the little tricks I’ve learned that have helped me to adapt to change,” Kuldeep says, adding that’s been especially important during the pandemic. “It makes me smile when I know they feel supported.”

Starting a new career in nursing can be overwhelming, but when experienced nurses provide mentoring, it gives clinical externs and new nurses a safe place to learn. Kuldeep says cultivating a strong relationship between the mentor and extern or new nurse is important for success.

NGG nurses connect with their mentors on a weekly basis, and new nurses can easily reach their mentors with any questions. EMCs will touch base with clinical externs at least a few times per week via text, phone call or visits to the unit.

“This builds a relationship and a trust and shows them we’re here to support you and transition you into your new role,” Kuldeep says.

Kuldeep says Sunnybrook’s mentors are experienced nurses who want to support new nurses and nursing students and help them develop the knowledge, skills and judgement necessary to provide high-quality patient care and be successful in their careers.

“We all want them to succeed,” she says. “Not only does the hospital need nurses, but we need good nurses and one way we can do that is by being there as a mentor.”

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“It [is] a really great learning environment and people are super eager to teach you,” Ashlynn said. “Also, there’s … lots of unique things that you only see at Sunnybrook.”

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ended her consolidation hours — a for-credit placement required for her nursing degree program — but since she was still interested in working for Sunnybrook, she was referred to the clinical extern program. Clinical externs are nursing students who gain on-the-job training while increasing their understanding of interprofessional roles within health-care teams. Not only is it an opportunity for students to gain confidence as nurses, but the externship program also enhances the overall quality of care for patients and families.

Ashlynn was interested in learning more about cardiology and, as an extern, she was assigned to that unit where she says she was warmly welcomed, received excellent teaching and was able to assist in providing high-quality care to patients and their families.

“I learned a ton,” she says.

Following her externship, Ashlynn registered for the Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) initiative, a program offered through the Ministry of Health that matches nurses with employers and provides nurses with a mentor and increased support in their new nursing role. After one year, participants are guaranteed a position with the employer.

After completing the NGG, Ashlynn was hired into the Acute Care Nursing Resource Team (ACNRT). While working as a member of that team, Sunnybrook sponsored Ashlynn in the completion of her Emergency Department certification. Now that she has completed the Emergency Department certification, Ashlynn has started her newest role as a registered nurse in Sunnybrook’s Emergency Department. She says the mentorship she received as an extern and in the NGG program has helped her feel prepared to succeed in her newest role.

“I had a good foundation. My transition into independent practice was I think as smooth as it could have been because of the support I got,” Ashlynn says.

Ashlynn credits Sunnybrook for investing in its nurses. Becoming a nurse during a global pandemic isn’t easy, and moving into more independent practice where she will have greater responsibility can be a little scary, but she says she has never once felt as though she has to manage these feelings on her own.

“Being independent in my practice doesn’t mean being alone in my practice when I’m at Sunnybrook,” she says.

The support and mentorship is valuable, but Ashlynn says it doesn’t mean it’s made the work easy. And for nursing students who are considering employment in a hospital setting, she advises not getting stuck on how difficult or scary it might be.

“It’s challenging, but if you’re in the right environment that supports you, the growth that you get as a nurse and a person is worth the difficulty,” she says. “When you’re in a new environment that builds you up like that, you become a better nurse and what scares you now just won’t scare you later.”

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It has resulted in a team-based approach to patient care on many units. In critical care, this means acute care nurses who traditionally work in other areas of the hospital work alongside trained critical care nurses on the unit to help care for some of the hospital’s most critically ill patients.

Vanessa Honeywell is an acute care nurse who was offered a temporary position in critical care as part of this staff redeployment.

She didn’t hesitate to take it.

“I jumped at that opportunity. I always wanted to specialize in critical care,” she says.

It has been both an exciting and daunting experience, Vanessa says. Since it’s a different approach to care, it took some time to clarify her role and determine how her skills would be most helpful, but she says she has never felt anything less than supported and appreciated by the staff and has learned ‘more than she ever imagined’ in the last 10 months.

“I feel so fortunate to work alongside such highly skilled nurses,” she says. “They are responsible for managing the most critically ill patients and they are exceptional at doing so.”

Working in a critical care setting during a pandemic can be challenging, but ultimately, Vanessa says the work gives her a great deal of fulfillment.

“Knowing that I’m making a difference during the most vulnerable moments of someone’s life,” she says. “Knowing that I am adding value in my own way brings great meaning to my work and my life.”

In fact, the last 10 months have only confirmed Vanessa’s desire to be a critical care nurse, and Sunnybrook is currently sponsoring her to take her critical care certification at George Brown College.​

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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.”

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