For registered nurse Nancy Fitzgerald and her fellow health protection team members, working in Public Health is about much more than giving patients their shots. “It’s so much more than just a needle,” the Elmsdale resident said. “It’s helping empower (patients) to do something that’s hard for them; to learn some coping strategies if they have any anxiety or needle phobias.” Whether it’s helping people get over their fear of needles or educating them about the importance of immunization, Fitzgerald loves “working with a variety of people” on the Public Health front lines.
Power outages are part of life in Canada. We know what they are like and, most times, we're prepared with extra candles and flashlights. But what happens when the power is completely out at a hospital? What impact does that have on patients, families, staff, physicians or anyone else in the hospital at the time?
Susan Kilbride Roper is a mental health advocate who started volunteering the day after she was diagnosed with Type 1 bipolar disorder. On the day of that diagnosis, she asked herself, “what do I do now?" Her psychiatrist advised her to learn more about her mental illness and join a peer support group. It wasn’t long after that she started leading the group.
Dr. Deborah Parker, by way of Alberta, came to Halifax for a medical residency in psychiatry and stayed because she loves the east coast way of life, but also because she got the opportunity she always wanted – ‘running’ a program to help mental health clients use exercise as medicine.
Clinical psychologist Tammy Lynn Kontuk teaches clients quick, easy-to-use strategies they can use to feel better, less stressed and lonely, and to end a little bit of their emotional suffering each day. She believes everyone should learn these basic mental health tips to help themselves and others.
With winter in the rear-view mirror, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) is reminding people where they can and can’t park at Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
