Renfrew Victoria Hospital Auxiliary announces donation to support nurses during Nursing Week 2022
May 17, 2022
On May 12, members of the RVH Auxiliary Janie Bilson, President, Barb Symington, Past President, Joan Hickey, cousin of Frances Wilson, and Marilyn York, Treasurer, presented the Frances Wilson RVH Nursing Education Fund donation of $209,100 to Julia Boudreau, RVH CEO and Chris Ferguson, VP of Patient Services. The funds will be used to provide ongoing nursing education bursaries.
The Renfrew Victoria Hospital (RVH) Auxiliary made a generous donation on May 12 in recognition of the dedicated nurses who play a vital role in our healthcare and have worked so selflessly to care for others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donation came about through the estate of Frances Wilson, a Renfrew Collegiate Institute (RCI) graduate and surgical nurse, who bequeathed the money to the RVH Auxiliary. The Auxiliary, in turn, with input from Fran Bonner, former member and close friend of Frances Wilson, designated the funds to be used for nursing education.
“Thanks to Frances Wilson, RVH nurses will have the opportunity to further their training for many years to come. It is such an honour to be part of this extraordinary presentation today, and we are so very grateful to Frances for her gracious donation to the RVH Auxiliary which has allowed us to present this funding at a time when our healthcare is adapting to so many new ways of caring for our citizens,” said Janie Bilson, RVH Auxiliary President.
Julia Boudreau, RVH CEO, thanked the Auxiliary and Joan Hickey (cousin of Frances) and noted that ongoing learning is part of the culture at RVH.
"We’ve always encouraged staff to pursue ongoing education to increase their skills, abilities and knowledge, and many nurses in the organization and across many of our departments have achieved certifications demonstrating their commitment to the profession of nursing. All of this leads to enhanced care and experience for our patients and their families,” said Boudreau.
Upon learning of the donation, a call was put out to registered nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) to participate on a ‘Nursing Funds Implementation Committee’ to oversee allocation of the funds. Eight nurses (Michelle O’Grady, Katie DeRuiter, Katie Kinslow, Jen Cobus, Melissa Hobbs, Genevieve Stephens, Stephanie Wright and Grace Leavoy) volunteered.
“It is very exciting that we put out a call for assistance to determine how the funds will be used and also to solicit nurses who would help us with application review yearly,” shared Chris Ferguson, VP of Patient Care Services and Nursing Administrator.
“As a Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO), RVH has always embraced quality and safety, and this will further enhance our work to improve care for our patients at RVH,” added Ferguson.
“The bursary is a great opportunity to promote professional growth for nurses in areas they are especially interested in and in return this optimizes patient care, which is a win-win scenario. Being part of this innovative committee that can optimize nurses’ skills and patient-centred care feels impactful,” stated Katelyn Kinslow, RPN.
The first annual call for staff to apply for the bursaries to cover opportunities such as RPN to RN bridging programs, additional education to enhance or advance their nursing practice, to become a best practice champion focused on an aspect of care or for new graduates to enhance care and feel more comfortable in their new roles, will go out next week.
The bursaries will range from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the ask and need and be available for the next five to 10 years. This is above and beyond the existing continuing education support all RVH staff can access from the RVH Education Assistance Fund (EAF), which was initiated in 1993.
“Receiving a donation of this magnitude specifically for RVH nurses is almost unfathomable. It has come at a time where support for nurses of all specialties is appreciated more than ever. Allowing our staff to expand their knowledge, and further their education and careers goes further than just the recipient. Our patients receive best practice, and staff can benefit from any knowledge shared,” said Katie deRuiter, RN, on behalf of the new Nursing Funds Implementation Committee.