Women In Philanthropy

Members support lifesaving equipment for the ICU

Queensway Carleton Hospital will be receiving two new pieces of equipment, thanks to the collective efforts of QCH Foundation’s Women In Philanthropy group. The members raised close to $65,000 in 2023 through monthly giving and donations, and in early February they gathered together for the annual voting meeting to decide where they would allocate those funds.

Once the pitches had been made from three hospital leaders, the group decided to put their $64,536 towards the purchase of a Transesophageal Echo (TEE) Probe and a Bedside Cardiac Monitor for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

A TEE probe is a specialized device that creates clean, crisp, real-time images of the heart. Using ultrasound waves, the probe – which is inserted into the esophagus – measures how well the heart is functioning. The probe is used alongside other technology for thorough cardiac assessments. The probe allows physicians to make diagnoses at the bedside, in real time, ensuring patients receive treatment faster and more effectively.

The Bedside Cardiac Monitors are essential equipment in the ICU. They constantly track and display information about heart function and trigger an alarm when there is an issue so the medical team can intervene quickly and provide appropriate care.

Last year, close to 1,200 patients were admitted to the ICU at Queensway Carleton Hospital. Patients in the ICU are very sick, and at risk of getting worse. They are often too fragile to be moved to another area of the hospital for testing and monitoring. Having the TEE probe and cardiac monitors in the ICU brings advanced technology to the patient’s bedside to quickly, safely and accurately monitor the heart and identify life-threatening conditions such as severe shock, valve disorders, arrythmias, blood clots, and heart failure.

Thank you to the Women In Philanthropy group for investing in world-class care at QCH.

To learn more about Women In Philanthropy, please contact Nadine Fowler at nfowler@qch.on.ca or by calling 613-721-4731.

Join this impressive group of philanthropists

We are pleased to welcome new members to our Women In Philanthropy group. To join, you are asked to confirm a high-impact annual donation of $1,200 ($100/month), or $600 ($50/month) for women under 40 years of age. A charitable tax receipt will be provided for the full amount of your donation.

Membership Benefits

Members receive invitations to behind-the-scenes hospital tours and special events with hospital leaders and have the opportunity to vote on projects to support with their collective giving.

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December 2022

Women In Philanthropy Invests in Online Educational Resource for QCH
Members Vote in Favour of Purchasing the Elsevier E-Learning Tool

Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) nurses, physicians, clinicians and allied health professionals will soon have access to a powerful new virtual training tool – thanks to the collective generosity of QCH Foundation’s Women In Philanthropy group. 

Members of Women In Philanthropy voted to direct their 2022 fundraising dollars toward the purchase of Elsevier – an online educational resource that supports skill development through e-learning modules, video sessions and evidence-based resources. QCH has purchased the clinical skills and emergency department e-learning modules along with a access to journal articles, textbooks, best practice guidelines, a medication calculator and competency checklists. With this new system QCH staff will have access to self-directed learning for more than 2,000 clinical skills – all available at the click of a button.

“Elsevier is something we feel that will be super valuable to our team of nurses who trained during COVID,” explains Jen Plant, QCH Director Professional Practice, Ambulatory Care, TJAC Clinic, Chronic Disease, Skin & Wound Care, MAID and Virtual Care. “In some cases, they didn’t have the opportunity to practice skills during their training period as most of it was done online. Through this new tool, nurses will be able to build their foundational knowledge, work with an educator to practice the skill and then be able to validate competency for caring for patients related to what they have learned.”

In the QCH Emergency Department, one of the busiest in Eastern Ontario, e-learning is an important part of the new orientation process for staff. Historically, there has been a blend of nurses with years of experience who work alongside junior nurses for on-the-job mentorship. With the workforce demographic shifting over the last three years, the balance between junior nurses and experienced nurses has changed and the opportunity for mentorship is limited.

“This new system allows us to be innovative in our approach to skill development. Along with a better understanding of the learning style of each team member we will be able to develop customized plans to meet their individual needs,” explains Jen. “It also gives us the opportunity to get everyone on the same level in terms of knowledge and then develop different pathways for learning based on their job experience.”

As an example, explains Jen, there are videos that are aimed to be used at the point of care – so a nurse or an allied health team member could open a video as a quick refresh on a skill such as changing a dressing for a specific type of wound. They would watch a video and then read through the protocols before moving forward with the patient.

This new resource is just one of the important investments made to help enhance the patient experience at QCH and provide support to the QCH healthcare teams who work tirelessly to care for our community – and powered by the incredible donors to QCH Foundation.