Staff Spotlight
Sarah Morin, Registered Nurse
In celebration of National Nursing Week (May 8-14), nurses from across Vancouver Coastal Health are taking us along for their shifts, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the important work they do, alongside their interdisciplinary teams, to care for our patients, clients and residents.
We’re spending the day with Sarah Morin, a Registered Nurse at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) High Acuity Unit. She began nursing as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 2002 and became a Registered Nurse in 2011. She has worked at LGH for 12 years.
6:00 a.m. – Getting ready for work
I wake up at 6:15 a.m. for my day shift and make sure to be in the car before 7:00 a.m. I’m excited to be working with my work buddy today! We work very well together and can anticipate each others needs when it is busy.
7:15 a.m. – Starting my workday
I change into my scrubs before signing in and checking my assignment. I then get the report from the night nurse for my patients.
I check the chart and review the orders and yesterday’s progress note from the Physician. Next, I do a quick safety check of my patients.
8:00 a.m. – Patient assessments
I begin head-to-toe assessments of my patients and then chart their basic vital signs, starting with the most acute patient first. Next, I check to see if any of the safety equipment needs to be restocked and perform other tasks.
Before the breakfast trays arrive, I check my patients’ blood sugar levels. During the day, I also check my patients’ urine output every hour, chart their vital signs hourly, if it’s been ordered, and administer medications.
9:15 a.m. – Morning huddle
The team gathers at the nursing station for our morning huddle.
The Patient Care Coordinator, Clinical Nurse Educator, Pharmacist, Dietitian, Unit Clerk and Physiotherapist report any updates they have. A quick summary of each patient is provided to the team, including their age, diagnosis, ongoing issues, tests happening that day, any isolation precautions and the care plan going forward.
After this, I give medications, finish the morning assessments and help my patients with their needs.
10:00 a.m. – Beginning rounds
My rounds begin with having a meeting by the first patient’s bedside with the Physician, Pharmacist, and, occasionally, the Respiratory Therapist if the patient is having difficulty breathing and is on CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) or high flow.
They let me know of any issues the patients had during the night, their assessments and their ongoing care plans. I then review the orders with the team and we discuss if anything should be changed.
Now it’s time to begin rounds on my next patient.
11:00 a.m. – Head-to-toe assessments
After I come back from a break, I start to prepare the patients for any tests or procedures they’re having that day. I also help with their personal care and change their dressings.
Next, I do a head-to-toe assessment of each patient, record their vital signs, check their blood sugar level and administer lunch-time medications.
1:00 p.m. – Lunchtime
Before going on my lunch break, I provide updates to the nurses who will be caring for my patients while I’m away.
1:45 p.m. – Afternoon
During the afternoon, I continue recording my patients’ vital signs and other measurements. I also attend a meeting with the Clinical Nurse Educator for in-service training on chest tubes.
On this day, a patient becomes more acute and medically unstable. I reported this to the Physician and accompanied the patient to the Computed Tomography (CT) department using a portable monitor. I also brought along medications that the patient needed.
4:00 p.m. – Preparing for the operating room
It’s now time to prepare one of my patients for the operating room (OR). I begin the pre-op checklist and call the OR to find out what time the surgery is.
Next, I call the porter to move the patient to the OR. If the patient is unstable, I would accompany them while they are being transferred.
4:30 p.m. – Continuing patient care
During the afternoon, I continue to care for my patients by performing head-to-toe assessments, checking their blood sugar levels and recording what I find.
I administer dinner-time medications and then go on my break after providing patient updates to the other nurses.
6:00 p.m. – New admission
My patient who was in the OR is being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit after their surgery, so a new admission arrives from the Emergency Department.
I assess the new patient and then begin the orders and provide medication.
7:00 p.m. – Finishing work
My workday is nearly done. I finish any remaining tasks and then prepare a report to give to the nurses who are working the next shift.
I change out of my scrubs and gather my things.
7:45 p.m. – Driving home
On my drive home, I reflect on what has happened during my day and am happy that the care we provided made a difference for our patients.
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