1. Retirement Miramichi
   A Great Sense of Community
   
   
2. Editorial: Men in Nursing
   
   
3. Oncology Nursing Distance Education Course
   
   
4. How To Get 6-Pack Abs Without Doing A Single Crunch or Sit-up
   
   
5. St. Amant: Interesting, Challenging and Rewarding
   
   
6. February and March 2010 Observances
   
   
   
   

Retirement Miramichi
A Great Sense of Community

by Terri Cormier
As I glanced over the cover of a recent issue of Silver and Gold, a magazine popular with retirees in southern Ontario, my eye caught the headline: Retirement: Searching for a Sense of Community. “I'm going to take this home”, I thought. “I want to read it.”
I wanted to read it because, as Marketing and Client Services Manager for Retirement Miramichi for the past eight years, watching our community grow to near capacity with half of our tenants being with us for five years or more, I have come to know, with a certain amount of pride, that a great sense of community is our biggest asset.
What I was curious about, however, was just how important is a sense of community to today's retirees, many of whom are coming from a large impersonal world where you live beside somebody for years and don't know their name.
Miramichi, New Brunswick is known far and wide for its hospitality; as a native Miramichier, that I already knew. Our local paper regularly prints letters from people who have passed through; maybe they were lost, maybe they had a flat tire, maybe they were visiting, or maybe they moved to Retirement Miramichi. All of them are pleasantly surprised to find that old-time friendliness, hospitality and helpfulness are not totally obsolete in today's rushed world. Not here, anyway. Even the teenagers smile and say hello when you pass them on the downtown streets.
Recently, as I was showing and telling some visiting clients from Ontario about our retirement community, we were joined by a couple of tenants who were, well, being friendly. “I think the nicest thing about this place is that there is a real sense of community”, one tenant said.
“Our community is contained, so your neighbours and the people on the next block are retirees too. Everybody is in the same phase of their lives, so we share similar interests and concerns. Eighty percent of us are from somewhere outside Miramichi, so we all share that. And now that we're retired, we have time. Time to be part of a community.”
“Yes,” I mused, having my own thoughts validated by the tenant's comment. “I'm becoming quite convinced of that too..” Before I could finish my thought, the other tenant piped up: “It's in everybody's interest to look out for each other, but they're not on your doorstep every morning with the coffee cup. You can be as involved or uninvolved as you like!
As we bid the tenants good day, my clients and I moved on to the next house of interest, my clients noted the uniqueness of the community and the similarity of the residents. “Yes,” I responded, “It appeals to people who wish to live independently in their own home without the headache of owning it, amongst people like themselves. We're very proud of the community they've built over the years.”
As I finished reading the article, I was struck by sense of community as defined by Seymour Sarason in his book The Psychological Sense of Community. Prospects for a Community Psychology: “A sense of community is the perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what one expects from them, and the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable structure.” That's it, I thought. That's exactly what we have here. Quite simply, a great sense of community.
Located on the northeast coast of Canada's Picture Province in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Retirement Miramichi offers rental housing to active retirees from across Canada, who make their home there while contributing to the local economy. A non-profit economic development initiative, it evolved from the residential units at the former CFB Chatham. Since its inception in 1997, the community has grown to 90 percent full occupancy, over 350 residents, and almost half the tenants have been there for over five years. There are 17 home styles, both detached and semi-detached, ranging from two-bedroom bungalows to four-bedroom, two-storey homes with fireplace, den, 1.5 baths and a garage. Rent ranges from $502 to $698 per month and all homes have hardwood floors, full basements, paved driveways, two clotheslines, and generous properties. Lawn mowing and driveway snow removal is included in the rent and tenants may have gardens and pets.
Retirement Miramichi is within walking distance of a shopping district and only yards from Miramichi's indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and walking trails and the Atlantic Ocean is just a 30-minute drive.
Miramichi offers peaceful rural living with the comforts, services and amenities of city life: 911 emergency services, an ultra-modern regional hospital with state-of-the-art health services, restaurants, shopping, churches, a community college and university, two libraries and marinas,and exercise facilities area within 2.5 kilometres. Miramichi also has a new public transit system and is well connected to points beyond by a good highway network, train and bus service, and an international airport 1.5 hours away.
Mike Sharp, a resident since 2004, calls Miramichi “Canada's best-kept secret”. Michael and his wife Jill moved from Port Perry, Ontario, and have become two of its best ambassadors. “We fell in love with it within 10 minutes” , says Michael. “The scenery here is breath-taking and the people are ever so friendly. I simply can't say enough good things about it.”
The Sharps settled into Retirement Miramichi in 2004 and have never looked back. They have been involved in the preservation of heritage buildings, volunteer at the visitor information centre and can be found regularly enjoying the tasty treats and good company at the unique German bakery downtown. They are “Miramichiers” in the truest sense of the word, at home and in community in more ways than one!
For more information on Retirement Miramichi, call toll-free at 1-888-844-2001 or visit the website at www.retirenb.ca.

Editorial: Men in Nursing

by Jennifer (Jay) Sherwood, BScN, MEd.
The following quote is from a nursing school's requirements for people wishing to be accepted to that particular school. The applicant must be “of good behaviour, distinguished for purity, possessed of cleverness and skill, imbued with kindness, skilled in every service a patient may require, competent to cook food, skilled in bathing and washing the patient, rubbing and massaging the limbs, lifting and assisting him to walk about, well skilled in making and cleansing of beds, readying the patient and skilful in waiting upon one that is ailing and never unwilling to do anything that may be ordered.” (Charaka (Vol I, Section xv) as cited in www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6011/sld006.htm) It sounded very much like the requirements for nursing schools in the 1950's. The difference is that this quote comes from the world's first documented school that was started in India about 250 BC. This school only recruited men (very different from the 1950's) because only men were considered “pure” enough to become nurses.
I cite the above because we all think that both licensed and registered nurses who are male are fairly recent phenomena in the profession. Today, nursing continues to be a female dominated profession with men making up only around 6% of all members. According to Anthony, (2006, p.46 ) there is a collective memory loss of men's historical contribution to nursing. Indeed, paid nursing was an exclusively male dominated field for most of human history, starting with the world's first nursing school written about above, continuing through the middle ages and lasting until the mid 1800s. On the other hand, throughout history, unpaid nursing has been exclusively the province of women. “Nursing” their babies, caring for children and partners, practicing mid wifery, and then taking care of their parents in old age, has been expected of women, and while considered “nursing” it was almost all unpaid.
What were the factors that provided the right environment for the startling decline in the numbers of men in nursing in the mid 1800s? At that time, 1800's England was fighting in the Crimean War, and the United States was embroiled in the Civil War. In times of war, men usually became nurses involuntarily “on to spot” in an effort to save their fellow soldiers' lives During the Civil War both sides had military men serving as nurses. The Confederate Army identified thirty men per regiment to care for the wounded. The Union also had men in the military serving as nurses. War was not the realm of women. This was the case until Florence Nightingale was allowed on the battlefield to minister to soldiers during the Crimean War. At the time, changing perceptions of women's roles in Victorian England. She established the idea that nursing was a woman's profession; it was natural for women to be nurses and unnatural for men.
Nightingale was well educated and influential. She advocated that nursing was an ideal occupation for gentlewomen and used nursing as a “platform for emancipation from the limitations she faced as a single woman in Victorian England” (Anthony, 2006 p.45). In her writings, she aligned nursing with the traditional women's roles of mothering and caring. Men she said should not be involved in nursing suggesting that their “horny hands” were detrimental to caring and were excluded since they did not have a natural capacity for mothering or caring. While Nightingale is credited as the founder of modern nursing, little is mentioned about her influence on the feminization of the profession.
At the beginning of the 20th century only 2 United States nursing programs for men were in existence. Both of them focused on clinical areas that were deemed suitable for men. These were: psychiatry and urology. Men who had been admitted to a general nursing program to qualify for registration as a nurse, were not permitted clinical experience in obstetrics. It wasn't until the later in the century and most particularly the 1950s that nursing schools opened their doors to men who aspired to be nurses. (NurseSentry of Canada, p.1)
What is the status of the male nurse in today's world? Most of the evidence that I could find on the internet is anecdotal and is divided on the issue of discrimination based on personal experience. For example, one male RN asserts that he is at ease in the workplace and that any career path he has chosen or will choose to make is open to him. He says that the “...perception that men are stymied in nursing today is overblown..”. (Hilton, 2001 p.1) In the same article there are numerous stories by men about their experiences in nursing that were critical of their female colleagues for their attitudes towards them.
In an article by Brian Brown, the notion that it is more difficult to be a male nurse than a female is challenged. Brown suggests that despite their fewer numbers men are more likely to earn more and be appointed to leadership positions more frequently than their female counterparts. In a literature review designed to describe the perceived or real barriers to men seeking a career in nursing, Coleman and Roth (2008) suggest that while nursing has changed in the last 50 years, the changes have had little effect on the public's perception of a nurse. As a result there are still the gender biases that have an effect on the barriers that still exist.
With the nursing shortage in the present day there is renewed interest expressed in recruiting men into the nursing profession. Some writers suggest that the persistent and outdated stereotypes of nursing as a woman's profession have stimulated recent recruitment efforts directed towards men. After all, they say to not do this is to ignore 50% of the population!
Sometimes when I write an editorial I come across something that I have never considered before. While I do not consider myself a student of nursing history, I do know that anything that I ever learned about, read about or heard about focused on women's contribution to nursing throughout the ages. I have never considered men's rich history of contribution to the profession. I applaud the groups that have formed to support their male colleagues in nursing and the publication of historical facts
that shed new light on men's traditional roles in the profession.

References
Anthony, Ann. Tear down the barriers of gender bias. Men in Nursing. August 2006. www.meninnursingjournal.com
Brown, Brian. Men in nursing: Re-evaluating masculinities, re-evaluating gender. Contemporary Nurse: Healthcare Across the Lifespan, Vol. 33:2 pp: 12 - 129. www.comtemporynurse.com/archives
Coleman, Christopher and Jay Roth. Perceived and Real Barriers for Men Entering Nursing: Implications for Gender Diversity. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 2008. www.britannica/bbs/additionalcontent/ Accessed 1/8/2010
Hilton, Lisette. A few good men: Male nurses defy stereotypes and discrimination to find satisfact in a female dominated profession. www.allnurses.com/men-nursing-forum/print96299.html?pp=1 Accessed 1/9/2010.
NurseSentry of Canada. www.nursesentry.com. Accessed 1/9/2010

Oncology Nursing Distance Education Course

If you are caring for patients with cancer then you might want to consider enrolling in the Oncology Nursing Distance Education Course (ONDEC). According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 171,000 new cases of cancer (excluding 75,100 non-melanoma skin cancers) and 75,300 deaths from cancer will occur in Canada in 2009. Based on current incidence rates, 40% of Canadian women and 45% of men will develop cancer during their lifetimes.
The Oncology Nursing Distance Education Course was developed in the early 1990s by Nurse Educators at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta. Current enrolment includes health care professionals from Canada, England, Australia, South Africa, Malta, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
The course curriculum provides a frame-work for comprehensive oncology nursing knowledge including:
o cancer biology - content includes genetics, carcinogenesis, metastasis, tumor classification & grading, diagnosis, staging, grading and treatment planning
o cancer epidemiology - content includes terminology & trends, epidemiologic research, primary & secondary prevention and cancer genetic risk assessment
o cancer treatments - content includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biotherapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation
o oncologic emergencies - content includes structural and metabolic emergencies
o cancer diseases - content includes acute & chronic leukemia, lymphoma, breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancers
o symptom management - includes pain, fatigue, dyspnea, delirium and GI symptoms
Each of the six units includes learning activities and review questions. The course manual is supplemented by a comprehensive nursing textbook and peer reviewed journal publications. Exams are administered by a proctor at intervals throughout the course and students have unlimited access to a full-time tutor by email or telephone throughout the time they are enrolled in the course.
The course provides a solid foundation in oncology knowledge that can be applied to everyday nursing practice in all hospital and community settings. ONDEC graduates come from Canada and around the world, and include novice and expert nurses, nurse educators, undergraduate nursing students, nurses preparing for a career change and allied health professionals.
Students are enrolled on the first day of each month throughout the year and are provided 10 months to complete the course. If students are unable to complete the course in the 10 months provided, they have the option of purchasing extensions. It is recommended that students enrolled in ONDEC plan to dedicate 6 to 8 hours per week to course activities. Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate of completion and a pin. Students may use the hours for this course towards their continuing education credits which may be required by provincial associations. Several Canadian Universities provide credit for ONDEC as a 3-credit, undergraduate elective. ONDEC is consistent with the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) standards for oncology nursing care and will support the ongoing education and professional development of nurses working with cancer patients.
The course fees are $450 plus the cost of the textbook, supplementary readings and GST. For further information about this course please call Marie Kemp, Course Tutor at 780-577-8076 or email ACB.ondec@albertahealthservices.ca.

How To Get 6-Pack Abs Without Doing A Single Crunch or Sit-up

OK, lets face it - most if not all people want a flat, lean midsection. But for the majority no amount of crunches or sit-ups seem to get the job done. Have you ever heard this or asked this yourself?
“I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?”
Well, before I reveal your six-pack abs blueprint, let's first debunk some very important myths about how to get six-pack abs:

Myth#1 - Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs
WRONG!
The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Seems like semantics but hear me out. Your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to build a roaring metabolism: one that eats away at your fat stores and builds muscle like clockwork. By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to obtain that desired six-pack.
So if you lose 17 lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process, you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good looking muscle tone. But if you lose 17 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or gain lean muscle mass you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose primarily body fat.
The scale can be misleading as there are a number of variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women the menstrual cycle. If you are going to keep a scale at home DO NOT get on it everyday, every other day or even every week. It is such an anchor, particularly for women. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking. Don't get me wrong the scale has its place and is important but it should not be the thing you put all your faith in.

Myth#2 - Do lots of abs work to preferentially burn off stomach fat
WRONG!
Spot reduction doesn't work. You can't just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away. Think about it: almost everyone does crunches but proportionately very few people perform total body workouts. So, with all of these crunches, we'd expect to see nothing but people with flat tummies and fat depots everywhere else on their body (arms, legs, etc.). But think of how many people you know and see on a regular basis whom have more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. See what I mean - spot reduction doesn't work!
The thing is, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. So your best approach would be: burn as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs) so you charge up your metabolism and continue burning an elevated amount of calories AFTER your workout. Compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to presses) burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. So be sure to focus on these movements first and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work.

Myth#3 - Crunches and Sit-ups are the best exercises for your abs
WRONG!
The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension (excessive back bending of the spine), not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.
To create the best looking and strong midsection focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital - front to back, frontal - side to side, and transverse - rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your rectus abdominis or “six-pack” ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscle, or your deep abdominal stabilizer, that wraps around your spine and supports your internal organs. Wanting to reduce back pain? Then strengthen these inner ab muscles as it's key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention. Just another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.

Myth#4 - Do lots of long-duration cardio to burn the fat covering your abs
WRONG!
Both scientific research and real world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn't work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan. In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn more fat AFTER the workout than ordinary exercise. However why not perform both resistance interval training and cardio interval training to combine the best of both worlds? More on this to come!

The Anti-Crunch Six-Pack
Abs Blueprint:
Step#1 - Lose the fat that is covering your abs so that you can see them

A.) Eat to lose fat and elevate metabolism
o Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.
o Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 5-7 feedings per day (i.e. 3 meals, 2 snacks {half the size of your meals and workout nutrition})
o Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies
Sample One-Day Menu:
Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon
Mid-Morning Snack - Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice
Lunch - Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice
Dinner - Turkey or Beef Meatballs and
Spaghetti Squash
Pre-Bed Snack - Protein and Flax Shake
o Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender, an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, a probiotic (good bacteria) supplements, and a vitamin D3 supplement.
Use The Carb Reduction Blueprint:
Use the following step by step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your six-pack abs quest.
Step#1 - Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars
Step#2 - Limit all whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast
Step#3 - Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies
Step#4 - Replace all fruits with green veggies
Step#5 - Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to the next level (This is beyond the scope of this article but the success you can achieve from this strategy is powerful)

B.) Train to lose fat and elevate metabolism
o Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - Perform Total Body Circuit Strength Training
Sample Total Body Circuit Strength Workout - 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)
50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit - You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 secs of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout:
Exercise#1: Double-Leg: Bilateral Hip-Dominant; Variation: Hip Extensions
Exercise#2: Push: Horizontal Push;
Variation: Push-up Variation
Exercise#3: Single-Leg: Unilateral Knee-Dominant ;
Variation: Single-Leg Wall Sit
Exercise#4: Pull: Horizontal Pull;
Variation: Body Weight Rows
Exercise#5:Core: Linear Stabilization or Trunk-Dominant; Variation: Upper Body Twist Variation
o Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday - Perform Cardio Interval Training
Sample Cardio Interval Training Workout - 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)

30-30s - You will alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 seconds of active recovery. You will perform this 1-minute round up to 20x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio machine of choice (airdyne or spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between the following body weight cardio exercises for the ultimate in-home workout:
Exercise#1: Linear Locomotion Emphasis;
Variation: Stationary Running
Exercise#2: Lateral/Rotational Locomotion Emphasis; Variation: Jumping Jacks Variation
Step#2 - Train your abs based on their true function: STABILIZATION
Below is a core workout that would appear in my boot camp. It involves no crunches or sit-ups by using all pillar stabilization exercises. Once you master these moves and follow everything else I previously listed above, you will have a sweet pair of rock hard abs to show for it… just wait and see!

The Power to the Pillar Workout - Tabata Style
This 20-minute total body core workout focuses entirely on pillar stabilization. The pillar collectively consists of your shoulders, hips, and core. It is your body's powerhouse, foundational to all movement.
For each exercise below you will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one minute rest and transition before moving on to the next exercise listed.
For maximum benefits, you must seek to maintain a tight pillar position during all movements by actively pulling your navel to your spine, engaging your glutes, and maintaining a straight line from the heels through the shoulders. The following coaching cues work really well:
“suck in your gut”
“tuck your butt under”
“round your lower back”
“give yourself a wedgie”
“be flat like a diving board.”
Exercise#1 - Front Pillar Variation
(static or dynamic)
Exercise#2 - Left Side Pillar Variation
(static or dynamic)
Exercise#3 - Right Side Pillar Variation
(static or dynamic)
Exercise#4 - Back Pillar Variation
(static or dynamic)
Today is the dawn of a new age in core training and it is my sincere hope that you take this powerful information and run with it.
Until next time…
Resurrect your body back to life!

About the Author:
Tyron Piteau, B.H.K., is a real world fat loss expert and owner of The Maker's Body Personal Training and Resurrect Your Body Boot Camp. For your FREE Rapid Fat Loss Starter Kit and a FREE fitness consultation visit www.MakersBody.com. (604) 626-2342 or MakersBody@gmail.com.

St. Amant: Interesting, Challenging and Rewarding

St. Amant's River Road Place, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba plays a unique role within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authorities' array of specialized services.
“Our care team staff are energetic, innovative and passionate about what they do,” said Wayne Reimer, Director of River Road Place. “We're currently recruiting Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Respiratory Therapists and we're looking for people who fit this description and want to be part of something special.”
St. Amant's River Road Place is home to approximately 200 individuals with profound intellectual and physical disabilities, most of whom also have chronic and complex health care needs that require 24 hour medical care. River Road Place also supports an additional 40 to 50 Manitoba families each year by providing out-of-home respite care for a family member. From small children to older adults, each client has a highly individualized support plan in order to enjoy an active lifestyle and the best possible quality of life.
Rita O'Rourke is a Registered Nurse who came to work at St. Amant because other nurses told her what a great place it is to work.
“I was recruited by some friends of mine. But I also used to see clients come to the hospital when they needed emergency care and could tell that they were very well cared for, so I knew that the level of care was really good,” said O'Rourke.
Lisa Tao is a Respiratory Therapist that recently made the move from Toronto to Winnipeg to work at River Road Place.
“I wanted to work with really professional staff and in a challenging and rewarding environment,” said Tao. “The other staff are really great, I really like it here.”
The Nurses and Respiratory Therapists at River Road Place are the leaders of the care teams and are supported by a set of Resident Assistants who provide the majority of the direct care. Nurses and R.T.s work in close collaboration with other on-site specialists including: Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Language Pathology, Dietary, Social Work, Psychology, Pharmacy, Education and Recreation.
Ashleigh Verstraete, a new grad from the BN program at the University of Manitoba decided to work at St.Amant after checking out other health care facilities during her rotations and practicums.
“You have a more intimate relationship with the clients and there's a lot more teamwork at St. Amant than I've seen at other places,” she said. “It's a great place to work and you get to use the majority of your skills here. On a daily basis I do inhalations, respiratory care, catheterizations, wound care, and of course assessment.”
One of the things O'Rourke worried about in making the transition from her 8 year stint in the Emergency Room over to St. Amant was whether she would be able to keep up her nursing skills.
“Nursing at St. Amant is way more than you think it is. It's interesting, challenging and way more rewarding than anything I ever did in acute care,” said O'Rourke.
Interested in learning more about a career in nursing at St. Amant? Check out their website at www.stamant.mb.ca.

February and March 2010 Observances

These are February and March 2010 calendars of annual health observances and recognition dates for healthcare. Health observances are days, weeks, or months devoted to promoting particular health concerns. This information will come in handy for community relations programs as well as employee appreciation events. Health professionals, teachers, hospital staff and community groups can use these special times to sponsor health promotion events, stimulate awareness of health risks or focus on disease prevention.
The year long 2010 calendar specific to Canada can be obtained from www.charityvillage.com

February Observances
Month Long Observances
Black History Month; National;
Heart & Stroke Month; National ;
I Love to Read Month; Manitoba;
Junior Achievement Month; National;
Week Long Observances (1st Wk)
Eating Disorder Awareness Week; National;
International Development Week; National;
National Therapeutic Recreation Week; National;
White Cane Week; National;
(2nd Wk)World Orphan Week; International;
(3rd Wk) Scout-Guide Week; National;
(3rd Wk) Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week; National;
(4th Wk) Freedom to Read Week; National;
Daily Observances
Safer Internet Day; International; (9th)
Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day; National; (12th)
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day;
National; (14th)
International Childhood Cancer Day; International; (15th)
National Flag of Canada Day; National; (15th)
Family Day; AB,ON,SK; (15th)
Heritage Day; National; (15th)
World Day of Social Justice; International; (20th)
Thinking Day; National; (22nd)

March Observances
Month Long Observances
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; National;
National Epilepsy Month; National;
Easter Seals Month; Ontario;
Fraud Prevention Month; International;
Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month; National;
Kidney Month; National;
Help Fight Liver Disease Month; National;
National Nutrition Month; National;
Polio Awareness Month; National;
Red Cross Month; National;
Youth Science Festival Month; National;
Week Long Observances
(1st Wk) National Pharmacy Awareness Week; National;
(2nd Wk) Canadian Agricultural Safety Week; National;
(2nd Wk) National Social Work Week ; National;
(3rd Wk) Crisis Line Awareness Week; British Columbia;
(3rd Wk) National Francophonic Week; National;
Daily Observances
Self-Injury Awareness Day; International (1st)
National Lymphedema Awareness “D” Day;
National; (6th)
International Women's Day and United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace;
International; (8th)
International Francophonic Day; International; (20th)
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; International; (21st)
World Water Day; International; (22nd)
World Tuberculosis Day; International; (24th)
World Theatre Day; International; (27th)
Consumer Awareness Week; Ontario; (28 - April 4)