Helping Patients Get Home, Faster: Kayla Whiston with Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care nursing now using C3 technology

Kayla Whiston has always enjoyed helping others, and her role allows her to do that in meaningful and practical ways every day.  

“Knowing I am making a difference in someone’s life for the better is what motivates me as a nurse,” says Kayla. For her, nursing is about helping people feel supported during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.

Kayla is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) with Nova Scotia Health, working on the Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care Nursing Only Authorization Team (NOAT).  

Kayla and her colleagues support people who need nursing care at home after being referred to Continuing Care. NOAT supports individuals who only require nursing services through Continuing Care and typically have shorter-term healthcare needs such as wound care, IV antibiotics, etc.  

Kayla’s work includes assessing each patient’s needs, planning and setting up nursing services, and making sure those services are in place at the right time. As an LPN on the team, she advocates for patients and helps monitor their care, staying in close communication so nothing is missed, and patients continue to receive the support they need.

To better support patients and reduce delays in care, NOAT teams now use Care Coordination Centre (C3) technology.  

C3 is a province-wide digital platform that provides real-time visibility into where patients are in their healthcare journey and what next steps are planned for their care. 

C3 improves communication by giving Kayla and her team a clearer picture of what is happening with patients across the healthcare system. It allows the team to see what procedures a patient still needs before being discharged and what tests have already been completed. This helps them plan, so nursing services can be arranged as efficiently as possible.  

C3 also makes it easier to communicate with hospital units and quickly share information when additional documents or details are needed to set up care in the community or the place the person calls home.

With this technology, Kayla and her team work more efficiently and respond faster. They can often arrange services before a patient even leaves the hospital, helping avoid unnecessary delays. “Patients are often surprised at how quickly we call to set things up,” Kayla says. This fast response can help patients leave hospital sooner and return to the place they call home with the right supports.  

Helping people return home is something Kayla takes great pride in. She knows how important it is for patients to recover in a familiar environment, surrounded by loved ones. “I enjoy helping people get out of the hospital so they can be home,” she says.  

One moment that stands out for her was arranging nursing services for someone who had been in hospital for a long time. When Kayla called to say everything was ready, the patient started crying and thanked her, relieved that they could finally go home. Moments like that remind Kayla why her work matters.

Kayla describes the NOAT team as a small group of dedicated LPNs who are constantly communicating, problem solving, and advocating for their patients. Nurses like Kayla take on many roles every day, as caregivers, educators, co-ordinators and supporters. Their work is essential to patient safety, recovery and high-quality care, helping ensure patients feel supported, respected and cared for at every step of their journey.

If you, or someone you know, need help staying at home or support after a hospital stay, the Continuing Care team is here to help. Call 1-800-225-7225 or visit www.nshealth.ca/continuing-care.    

To learn more about C3 visit: Care Coordination Centre (C3) | Nova Scotia Health  

Photo of Kayla Whiston, LPN.