Help Generations help kids generationsfoundation.com 514-933-8585 MAY 2012 www.theseniortimes.com Vol. XXVi N o 7 Nursing education back to health First female Douglas chief calls for higher standards INSIDE Sound experience at chamber music fest p 5 Fraud victims fight to stay on the radar p 13 Walking on sunshine p 18 Chamber orchestra’s elements of surprise p 23 Open ears, open minds in Victoriaville p 27 Falling for Iguazu p 30 (photo above) EDITORIAL “Shadow MP” not ready for the big leagues After a mud-slinging campaign to dislodge the Zajdel’s refusal to be transparent, the surrepti- much-admired Irwin Cotler in last year’s fed- tious way he was appointed and the nebulous eral election, the Conservatives thought they nature of his job became a public issue. Not sur- could pull a fast one by appointing the losing prisingly, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper candidate in Mount Royal, Saulie Zajdel, to a came here for some politicking, the media was patronage job. more interested in Zajdel and his job. According Rather than take the usual route of so-called ac- to a report in The Gazette, he beat a hasty retreat ceptable patronage, appointing a loser to sit on a from inquiring journalists rather than face nag- government board or agency, Zajdel was hired by ging questions. He obviously could not stand the Heritage Minister James Moore. His appointment heat, so he got out of the kitchen. was only “announced” in a brief interview with Unable to stick-handle his way around his a local weekly newspaper that supported Zajdel’s appointment and its apparent political nature, candidacy and the Conservative party. Zajdel resigned, telling a Montreal radio station Moore’s office refused to reveal his salary, or he was “tired of being this distraction.” even spell out his mandate, though Zajdel later Zajdel says he felt insulted by being labeled the told a reporter he was disappointed his pay “shadow MP” for Mount Royal, but sometimes had not reached the six-figure range. The exact the truth hurts. Will someone else be named to amount remains confidential. Zajdel’s mandate— replace him? We don’t know, but we doubt it. in his words to the newspaper—was to promote Zajdel says he hopes to run again in Mount and explain Canadian Heritage program available Royal, if the party wants him. to multiethnic communities here. The implication Given the way he has performed as a member of was that he was paid to do the work that the MP Moore’s staff and his lack of candour about all as- and his staff normally do. pects of his job, both he and the party might want No wonder Cotler described Zajdel’s role as re- to think twice about whether he would be suit- sembling a “shadow MP.” able. Riding residents, who are used to being rep- resented by MPs of the calibre of Pierre Trudeau and Irwin Cotler, are entitled to vote for the can- didate and party that best reflects their views. Zajdel, who increased the Conservative vote in Fulfi lling Needs Mount Royal, has every right to run again. Senior Residence at Every Stage But the public-relations miasma that followed his brief tenure as a member of Moore’s staff sug- gests this former municipal politician is not ready for the major leagues. 2 THE SENIOR TIMES May 2012 www.theseniortimes.com Visionary nurse advocates for more education, partnership with doctors Irwin Block the spotlight with Danielle Fleury, recently named chief nursing officer Big changes are underway for Que- for the province. Fleury will be key bec’s nurses. The Senior Times in coordinating the expected trans- learned about them from a nurse formation. who personifies the profession’s Keeping up with the increasingly emerging profile. high-tech nature of modern medi- Lynne McVey sits comfortably and cine is another reason to increase the purposefully in her executive office educational requirement for nurses, at the Douglas Mental Health Uni- McVey added. versity Institute. She is the first fe- “We want to educate our nurses to male executive director of a hospital be full partners with physicians, who affiliated with the McGill University are also adapting their education Health Centre. curriculum to the high-technology Until last fall, McVey was the environment. highly regarded director of nursing Some professors at McGill are Douglas hospital executive director Lynne McVey wants nurses to be able to keep and clinical operations at the Jewish working toward having doctors and up with the high-tech nature of modern medicine. General Hospital during its years of nurses take classes together at uni- major expansion. this can be achieved by increasing 70 per cent did. versity so they can partner better She holds a master’s degree in the number of years of nursing edu- Will this mean fewer nurses enter together when delivering care to pa- nursing and is a leader in advocat- cation. She emphasizes that nurses the profession in Quebec? tients.” ing higher educational standards for with the equivalent of a bachelor’s of According to McVey, upgrading of She cites research published in Quebec nurses. science will be in a position to ex- requirements outside Quebec has re- 1986 by William Knaus indicating Quebec’s requirements for nurses pand their clinical partnership with sulted in a higher profile for nursing, that the quality of the nurse-phy- are the lowest in Canada; they must doctors. attracting more candidates. sician relationship appeared to be graduate from a three-year CEGEP “We believe that nurses have an “We believe that Quebecers de- critical in lowering mortality rates program. important contribution to make serve to have more nurses coming in intensive-care units. But there is change in the air. Fol- that has not been taken advantage into the profession.” McVey sees her appointment to lowing a resolution of the self-reg- of enough, so that our hospitals be- McVey discussed that very topic run the place our parents referred to ulating Order of Nurses of Quebec, come safer places for patients.” early this month in a seminar for obliquely as “Verdun” as part of a trend. talks are underway with the Quebec For McVey, it’s all about patient nurses at the Jewish General, sharing Continued on page 4 education and health departments care. She cites research by nurse to make a bachelor’s degree manda- Linda Aiken, a University of Penn- tory for new nurses over the next 10 sylvania professor who found that years. It will be a five-year program, for surgical patients at 168 hospitals adding two years in university to the in the state, death rates were nearly current requirements. twice as high at hospitals where less McVey is passionate about im- than 10 per cent of nurses had bach- proving patient outcomes and says elor’s degrees as at hospitals where www.theseniortimes.com May 2012 THE SENIOR TIMES 3 McVey to launch ‘anti-stigma’ campaign Continued from page 3 glected state of some of the facilities when she took “Clinicians are moving into CEO roles. We are over her post, including insufficient bathrooms. seeing a refocusing on the core business of the “Mental health has been neglected throughout health-care system, which is clinical work.” Quebec in terms of renewing our physical envi- That work can continue over a lifetime for men- ronment.” tal-health patients. Apart from the broad range of illnesses the Continuity of care is an essential part of treat- Douglas treats—including schizophrenia, bipolar ment, she noted. Quebec has created a clinical and eating disorders—at its therapeutic day centre specialty in mental health services for nurses and in-patient units, its staff manages 1,150 hous- with master’s degrees who can provide referrals, ing units for patients under its care. continuing care at a local CSSS and help patients “We are short about 500 places in the west end,” navigating the mental-health-care maze. she said. She plans to launch an “anti-stigma” campaign The Douglas has a staff 1,500, including clini- so that patients feel comfortable in seeking treat- cians who follow these patients, sometimes in ment and she hopes to upgrade facilities so the partnership with other hospitals. Douglas’s aging infrastructure becomes a “mod- Those include 350 nurses, social workers, psy- ern healing environment.” chologists, occupational therapists, attendants, and “The power to recover is our vision statement, educators and specialists who work with children. which for patients with mental illness means to be “To witness their devotion and passion for their able to become fully contributing members of our work, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is very society, even after having an illness. This is part of much a privilege, and deserves much wider rec- de-stigmatization.” ognition.” McVey said she was “quite shocked” at the ne- [email protected] Clinic minimizes waiting times Waiting for surgery can be a stress- how patients are prepared for surgery. ful time for patients, and having to “The process is more efficient and make several visits for pre-surgical effective, and reduces the number of tests and consultations can inten- visits that patients must make lead- sify the stress. ing up to surgery,” Cummings said in To improve patient care and boost a statement. efficiency, the Jewish General Hos- A team of clinicians at the hospital pital has introduced a one-stop ser- designed the clinic and its processes. vice in a new pre-surgical screening A model was developed by Dr. Phil clinic that minimizes waiting time Troy, a member of the hospital’s for patients awaiting surgery.