Marilyn Erwin
October proved to be a very busy month for four nurses from Rainy River District who travelled to Thunder Bay.
Kristal Vandenbrand and Barb Kyko, both of Rainy River, attended a series of three day-long workshops held on best practices in stroke care.
Fort Frances was represented by Laurie Wepruk and Marilyn Erwin, who noted they experienced a combination of conference-style lectures, workshop groups, and extremely well-orchestrated role plays.
“We were also shown video footage of stroke survivors attempting common daily tasks which had now become ‘foreign’ to them,” noted Vandenbrand.
“This was really helpful in teaching us what other signs to look for in individuals who have been robbed of the ability to speak or understand what is being said to them,” she added.
“We covered a lot of material,” noted Kyko. “From the newest treatments aimed at reversing stroke damage to the safest and most comfortable ways of transferring patients from bed to chair and so on.”
Wepruk agreed the use of role play was very effective when learning to assess how much damage was done, and in which area of the brain the stoke had occurred.
What the group hadn’t expected was the opportunity to spend so much time with the nurses involved in hands-on care at the St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Unit.
“It was very encouraging to hear their stories of so many people regaining much of the abilities they had lost to stroke,” the four concurred.
“St. Joe’s sounds like a ‘boot camp’ for stroke survivors,” they added. “We were told that each patient receives three hours of formal therapy a day, divided into morning and afternoon sessions.”
“In the evenings, the rehab nurses apply electronic devices onto weakened limbs to stimulate the patient’s muscles.
“Nurses who have worked in rehab for years told us they’re amazed at the results they’re seeing at St. Joseph’s since best practice and stroke pathways have been introduced,” the foursome enthused.
“One nurse told us they’re doing things which, years ago, only physiotherapists were doing.”
It’s been exciting to learn how much can be done—and it’s given us all new hope for stroke patients and their futures.
