I went down to my favorite spot on the river this morning for reflection. There often are unseen forces at work, which we cannot see clearly, or immediately sometimes. What I do sense is that there are “family matters” and “matters of the heart” which are intertwined like a tapestry. This will be the legacy of everyone’s life I feel, as I cannot escape these instincts, that family and loved one’s must come first. It is true, that I have never had so many opportunities to live life differently…and to live such…in another part of the country, or…a different part of the world. But what matters most…is family, that is why I am torn as what I should/will be doing next. (more…)
Re-orienting Health Services was just one of the many “needed” transitions, for this country…in fact for the world, identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), in the “landmark” document released in 1986. Ten Years after the “Ottawa Charter of Health Promotion“. The economy is aligned with and dependent on the reality of “health is wealth”, never before has that been so apparent. It is also clear that we are losing the battle, against sickness and disability. We are losing the “war against” cancer, breast cancer, heart disease…the “war against drugs” and the all important war against infectious disease. WE are continuing on the path, and perpetuating these preventable tragedies because we are choosing “leadership” that maintains the “sickness model” of health care. Publicly funded (tax-dollars) are being spent on Hospital and Physician services…and health promotion and prevention, receives a small fraction of support or attention…in terms of the solution to our many “ills” and disability.
We cannot afford to continue on this path. Due to the current expenditures to “fix” after the fact, we cannot eliminate the statistics of one-in-five children live in poverty, nor can we enhance the services for those who would like to exceed beyond their current struggle with education acquirement. Canada can do so much better. Canada should be/could be the leader in Healthy Living, Healthy Families and Healthy Communities. Canada could also host the world at life-saving and quality of life enhancement, if they were to re-channel energies, human resources, investments and education of its professionals…the many that could/should help with “pro-active ” preventive health care. (more…)
What does that mean, exactly? How do Canadian’s define quality? How do they define leadership? What would a society look like if indeed there was Quality Leadership at the helm…and in every district/municipality?
It is time that I get to use the research methodology which was the focus of my Graduate Studies. Critical Discourse Analysis is known by very few. Even my colleagues in Academia…and in Nursing in its entirety (education, research, practice…influence on policy)…have retorted “what is that?” as I share some of the many courses of my Master’s program.
Graduate studies in Nursing (and in the other fields and professions for that matter)…have lead many to their Doctorate stream…for others it has been the opportunity for leadership and management positions in their chosen field. Nursing is unique…one can get to the leadership role over clinical practitioners without having ever practiced in that particular specialty. What?, the citizenry/public might retort, how is this possible?…is this safe, ethical and even practical. How would one lead…without ever being on such a path? (more…)
Most of my blogs I have intended on being a source of positive inspiration, while occasionally I have felt the need to share something “urgent”. As you know, in following here with the story behind my father’s stroke, I felt I was exposed to yet another position in which I could view our health care system. As one who practices in multiple settings, it had already been an eye opener, more-so perhaps, one I began to take students into multiple different settings, inclusive of Long Term Care. I had returned to practice in Canada partly for Advanced Practice opportunities but more out of a concern that …the Nursing Shortage here was going to be a painful one…if the statistics quoted were correct. view here
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In the link provided (and the many articles I have accumulated in my office) the picture looked grim, and it should be noted that the studies done were from late 1990’s to 2006. It is now 2007…the real thing. Much being lost in a new focus…a new agenda…the environment, and the ongoing debates for education, both very important discussions and resolutions needed, but we have a crisis “blooming” before our eyes…as political platforms are being presented…few solutions to ease the “pain”. Wait times are one thing (always have put individuals at risk…if life-saving surgery)…there are now bed closures…Operating Rooms empty…related to the shortfall of Health Human Resources. (I am not just an advocate for nurses, or Nurse Practitioners, but all of the professions) As one article puts it there is a FAMINE, of HC providers in Ontario, Canada, …the world. It gets worse for someone…when there is stiff competition (from the U.S.) but for us in Ontario…it is now from other provinces. view
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Solutions
more info:
“Unless we can figure out different ways of doing things, there will be times when you’re going to see a lot of bed closures in acute care hospitals and inability to service. It’s not just the physician shortage, it’s the nursing shortage that will have more impact on patient care. You can’t do operations without nurses in the ORs. You can’t recover people without nurses in the recovery rooms.”
- Carole Orchard, Professor and Director of the nursing program at the University of Western Ontario
Without recognition of the need to focus on issues of scope of practice, empowerment and autonomy…there will be no one willing to listen to mere rhetoric.
Click herePlease vote wisely on Oct 10th…and expect…no, demand accountability from any and all who accept that social responsibility of running for office…and represent we the citizens that voted them in.
Dave
As in the last post regarding nature. It takes some real contemplation by a quiet mind (mindfulness while escaping, mind-fullness). As a “natural consequence” of living in todays world…in a Western society…we are exposed to many forms of energy…most of which we cannot see…but we may actually feel…(the natural consequence of being close to the speaker system at a concert)…more vibration is felt (in eardrum as much as any tactile vibration sensed)…we often create our own greater vibration and greater expression of energy simply from getting out of the chair where you were merely tapping your foot, to being pressed up by the crowd as you get as close to the stage of an artist or band that you love…or the music you relate to most. (more…)
What is Nature? Quite a question. Millions of right answers. It depends on which source of reflection and/or contemplation one might chose. On any given day I may reflect on the teachings of many Masters. Or I may attempt to “draw” from the source of all truth…which is how I define nature…yet at the same time…there is this infinite aspect of nature which suggests no one, in their lifetime will be able to completely, know, define or comprehend Nature. As I “tend to like to blend” my sources of inspiration, if I were to draw from Taoism the source of all truth…then attach it to the teachings of Bhuddism…then I can expand my conciousness as it were…to the aspects of Nature. (more…)
I can easily reflect back to any part of my life and draw some important message, lesson for life or inspiration for the continuation of this most interesting journey. There may come a time when I put most of the important moments of my life to film or in a collective of books…but for now my readers…I wish for there to be some inspiration for the memories shared…some from a different context entirely.
It makes for an interesting discussion, the memories that many have about the
” proposed ” fateful day that the turning of the clock…the strike of midnight to see the close of 1999. What were you or your parents anticipating, how many will admit to a little stock-piling of groceries, water or the purchase of a gas powered generator…or even one of the many “doomsday books” that were available? (more…)