In honour of National Nursing Week, which recognizes the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession, we would like to introduce you to Charis, who is making an impact at SickKids as a Nurse Practitioner in Paediatrics, Burns and Plastic Surgery.
Charis’ love for her role is evident in the enthusiastic and passionate way she speaks about her experiences at SickKids. Her appreciation for her colleagues makes her emotional as she explains how much trust and respect everyone has for each other’s expertise and how well they are able to come together as a team to establish the best plan of care for each patient.
“The Burn team is made up of the most amazing people,” said Charis. “Everyone works from their heart and does whatever they can to support families.”
And she gets a little teary-eyed when going into detail about the strength of the families and patients she treats.
“Burns can be very tough on a family because they are often preventable,” said Charis. “Being able to provide the support the family needs, and then watch as a parent finds the strength to overcome a bad situation and embrace their child’s scars, is so rewarding.”
Charis is dedicated to burn care and prevention both within the walls of SickKids and outside of them. She is Chair of the Burn Committee and regularly goes out into the community to educate on burn prevention, home safety and first aid. She assisted in the creation of a laser program at SickKids, which is the first in Canada to provide laser therapy for aggressive burn scars on children. She advocates for sedating patients for dressing changes to help reduce the potentially painful impact on both child and parent. She also educates parents on pain management and will often offer her email to families so they can get in touch with her if they have questions, no matter what time of day.
“I want our families to know I am here to provide whatever support I can for them. Whether they require an explanation of how to address a certain situation, like changing a dressing, or are in need of some supportive words, I want to be able to help ease the fears a parent may have regarding their child’s condition and treatment.”
And if a child she is working with is upset or scared? Charis has no problem breaking out into song and dance to try and make her patients laugh.
Charis’ passion and dedication to her patients and families was recently honoured through the SMILE program. The SMILE program provides SickKids families and staff with the opportunity to recognize and thank staff members through a donation to SickKids. The honoured staff members receive a SMILE pin along with a personalized note as to why they were recognized.
“I started to cry when I opened up the envelope and read the note,” said Charis. “I immediately emailed my patient to let her know that the SMILE had made my week. It was such a nice gesture and so meaningful.”
If Charis or one of the other wonderful nurses at SickKids has made a difference for you and your family and you’d like to say thanks, consider honouring them through the SMILE program.
A donation through the SMILE program supports the highest priority needs of the hospital as well as the Staff Continuing Professional Development Fund, which provides full and part-time staff at SickKids with opportunities to advance skills, reach new milestones in their careers and increase their knowledge and expertise. SMILEs make a difference, so please consider giving one today.
Source: SickKids Foundation
http://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/
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