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Article submitted by Marshall Hohmann, Ability Awareness Presenter and Grandview Grad

My inspiration to write began in high school when I really got into public speaking. My teachers came alongside with my willingness to grow in my art of being creative with my writing. I guess I had no choice since I have to write everything that I say so it goes hand in hand. Writing to me is therapy because sometimes I need an escape from life especially what is going on in the world today with this virus and people dying from it. When I was in English class in high school all of my teachers asked me if I ever thought about writing a book! At the time I really wanted to be a computer tech so I took every single computer class that my high school offered. Here I am today.  Making presentations for the public!

You might be asking yourself. How did a non-verbal adult learn to read and write? Everything had to be memorized and that was a lot of work. I had to sound out every word in my head can you imagine how talented I had to be to spell. My teacher in JK always said sound it out in your head and of course, I had to work through those spelling textbooks. If you really want something you go after it. I had that mentality because it paid off at the end for me. I would also say that my speech therapist gave me the devices to write with so I want to give a special thanks to all the speech therapists that I had. I’m thankful for my education over the years and I am going to keep educating others because I have the voice to do so. When I write I feel calm and collected because it is relaxing. It also helps my grammar for my speaking as well. I personally believe it shows your character. Writing opens up possibilities for everyone, so shoot for the stars no matter what.

The College of Nurses wrote to nurses across Ontario this week:

It’s a special year for nurses around the world, with May 12 marking 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale. Well known as the founder of modern nursing, her vision for nursing professionals in the 19th century is still very much alive today. Leadership, collaboration, compassion and a commitment to patient care and well-being were values Nightingale upheld and instilled in her nursing students. These values, remain central within the complexity of care today, with nurses applying their knowledge and judgment, along with scientific evidence, to their professional practice.
In honour of the 200th anniversary of Nightingale’s birth, the World Health Organization has declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. This year-long effort celebrates the work of nurses and midwives and highlights the challenging conditions they often face, making it particularly meaningful during a global pandemic. Times like this also remind us of the value of teamwork across all health care professions.

The College of Nurses of Ontario has asked all Registered Nurses to take a moment and share why being a nurse is so meaningful to those of us fortunate to be registered in Ontario

Here is why it is for me:

I have been a Nurse for 32 years.

I have had the honour of practicing in direct care and leadership roles in Trauma, Critical Care, Emergency, General Medicine, Nephrology, Paediatrics and Women’s Programs. I have been a Chief Nursing Officer and now a CEO.  I am often asked if I miss being a nurse and people are usually shocked to know I am still an active Registered Nurse. I explain how nurses practice across many domains ~ research, direct care, education and in my current area of practice, administration. The education and skills required to care for each and every person across settings can be translated to an organization or a population and nurses in administration roles are impacting health policy and health outcomes in significant ways. I LOVE being a nurse. I have enjoyed each domain I have had the privilege of working in. Being the CEO at Grandview Children’s Centre provides the opportunity to bring a nursing perspective to the care and support of the children, youth and families who access the paediatric rehabilitation and other services and programs we offer. That lens combined with the expert physician, health discipline, professional and administration staff across our talented teams makes for a rich, evidence-informed model of care. For 32 years nursing has been a gift in my life, allowing me to meet amazing people like the Grandview families and team.
This nursing week I shout out to all the nurses across the world keeping us safe in this pandemic. May they remain safe too.

Happy Nursing Week. ~ Lorraine