Since graduating from university, Jen Woods has been drawn to practicing as a RN in rural hospitals. After working a few years in northern Ontario, she found her way south and joined Campbellford Memorial Hospital on the Inpatient Unit (IPU) in 2013.
“With a rural hospital, the teams are smaller and you have a different level of resources, which means you have the opportunity to take on greater responsibilities,” said Jen, who has been the Team Leader on the IPU for several years. “The other bonus of working at a small hospital is that everybody gets to know each other on a personal level.”
Those personal connections have proven to be a great strength as Jen and her team navigate and endure the impacts of the pandemic.
The toll of COVID-19 on the Inpatient Unit
This past year, COVID-19 wreaked havoc on staffing levels provincially. CMH felt this crunch with the Inpatient Unit contending with a high number of team members and their families getting sick and needing to test and isolate. They also continue to experience more frequent admissions and the need to isolate and care for patients who test positive for COVID-19.
“Because it’s an old building with a limited number of private rooms, it is difficult to manage isolation requirements for patients,” shared Jen. “During the peaks of COVID-19, there was a lot of shuffling patients around and figuring out the best way to keep people safe.”
Isolation requirements and other new COVID protocols that are necessary to keep everyone healthy and safe have meant an increased workload for Jen and her team, and have changed the typical workday on the unit.
“We’ve done a good job of supporting each other – we’re all in the same situation so everybody understands what their colleagues are going through.”
Proudest accomplishment
More than two years since the pandemic was declared, Jen is impressed by how the team has successfully navigated three COVID-19 outbreaks while providing excellent care to their patients.
Through it all Jen has great pride in being part of the CMH Team: “I think it’s the small-town feel— our team really cares about the Hospital, and we’re committed to making it a great place to work.”