Caring for those who care for Stollery kids
The Stollery Critical Incident Stress Management program provides peer-to-peer support to front-line care givers.
Our generous donors help fund this team of multidisciplinary health-care providers who are trained to provide peer support to their fellow team members, whether that be doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and other frontline care staff.
These pediatric health-care providers are always “ready to go”, and that, paired with caring for a patient and their family during their difficult journey, can take a heavy toll. The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program is helping Stollery staff deal with the emotional toll and fatigue that comes from a critical incident. Results show a decrease in staff sick time, a positive influence on workplace culture, satisfaction and support, and a meaningful impact on patient and family experiences.
Just like the Stollery’s front-line staff need personal protective equipment like masks and gloves to protect their physical health, they rely on this specialized team that is trained to help them protect their mental health.
Beginning in 2017, the CISM program has grown to 140 trained staff members across the Stollery Emergency department, critical care units, surgical areas, inpatient wards and even beyond the Hospital’s walls. This includes the Stollery neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Sturgeon Community Hospital and the Stollery Philip C. Etches NICU at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
This past year, the Foundation invested $50,000 in the CISM program. Thanks to donor generosity, the CISM program can continue to make sure Stollery staff get the peer support they need, when they need it.