The Ottawa Decision Support Tutorial was a module we completed for our Nurs-3001 (Living with Chronic Disease) seminar. This module was designed with aim to aid clinicians and healthcare professionals of all realms to improve their medical decision-making capacities. The topics outlined included: 

• Decision support and SDM (shared-decision making

• Conceptual foundation

• Difficult decisions

• Decisional conflict

• Inadequate knowledge and expectations

• Unclear values or opinion features

• Inadequate support and resources

• Monitor and facilitate progress

• Decision tools and coaching

The tutorial was very helpful in giving me a strategic approach to making difficult decisions for patients, and gave me utilizable tools that I was able to rely on as a student. It also helped give me many perspectives of different stakeholders, especially emphasizing the patient's perspective and the importance of effective knowledge and communication before asking for their input on decisions.

12-hours of CPR is a fundraiser that TUEFRT has been planning for the duration of second semester. I have been the main organizer for this cause as a TUEFRT Team Lead, since I wanted to take on the responsibility of overseeing the event's success. This event is running for the first time in at least five years due to covid. This year, we are fundraising for the James Fund, a not-for-profit charitable organization that operates through SickKids for neuroblastoma research. This relates to clinical since neuroblastoma is a type of cancer, and cancer is a common example of a chronic illness. Kids with neuroblastoma must utilize incredible coping mechanisms to overcome the mental burden of cancer every single day. I have had discussions with a fellow team member of mine who had neuroblastoma as a child. Her experiences with childhood chronic illness have helped me better understand the severity of disease burden and the role (and toll) this takes on one life. I believe the experiences of both organizing this fundraiser and learning about others' experiences of chronic illness will help me gain empathy and become a better nurse overall.

In this illustration, I have depicted a young woman drowning in her own lungs. One lung is saturated with pooling water, while the other is chained to prevent ventilation. Not only does this illustration represent the physiological challenge that cystic fibrosis presents to breathing, but the girl drowning also represents the overwhelming commitment of having CF and how easy it is to “drown” in chronic disease burden without sufficient coping mechanisms. The struggle of drowning relates to CF because it causes the patient to lose control of their body and feel trapped within themselves and their chronic struggles. The chains represent the permanency of CF and the control it holds over the lifespan, with every breath being a reminder of the toll of chronic disease. I chose to draw a young woman specifically since CF is more common in women and typically is diagnosed at a young age. The smoke surrounding the lungs represents the external threats posed to CF and environmental pollutants that often aggravate CF or cause exacerbations. The art is meant to evoke a feeling of isolation and “being trapped” both in the self and in the world due to the vast numbers of dangers that people with cystic fibrosis must face every day given the nature of their disease. This illustration serves as a reminder to healthcare professions, family, and friends of individuals with CF that we must be their beacon of hope and that we must aid in their coping mechanisms to help “unchain” them to their disease, reduce their burden and give them a hand to hold onto so they don’t “drown” in the troubled waters of isolation, loneliness, and fear.

This is a photo that, to me, perfectly describes the experience of chronic illness. From what I've learned in clinical, chronic illness is a series of highs and lows, peaks and valleys. Sometimes the days (and the train) go fast, and others go slow. The journey is long and tiring, and there are many challenges along the way and bumps in the road. Throughout it all, however, there is always a crew of passengers (friends/family) that travel with you the whole way. Some get off, some new ones come on (as friends and family often come and go) but you are never alone. The conductors (the nurses) work to ensure your journey is safe, and that you are cared for by ensuring you get the best service possible. Some days are stormy for such travel, others are sunny. What remains consistent is the inconsistencies of the journey (and of chronic illness), but the most important thing to remember is that 1. You are never alone and 2. The train will keep moving until you've reached your final destination.

Article about Living with Chronic Illness

This is an article that was written following a quantitative analysis of individuals living with chronic illnesses including asthma, allergies, diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. It discusses the burden of managing such illnesses, how lifestyle changes affect wellbeing, coping mechanisms, living situations, emotions at time of diagnosis and more. I have used this article in my research for chronic classes and it has been very helpful in giving an in-depth analysis regarding what evidence-based factors alter wellbeing and quality of life in patients living with such illnesses. The "Implications for Future Practice" section is particularly helpful in considering how such findings can apply to one's own clinical experiences and how it can benefit patient's journey through their illness.

This is a photograph of me preparing for my OSCE through attending an open-lab session on April 3rd. Open lab is a great opportunity to practice skills which we may not have the chance to perform in clinical or during simulations. During this lab, I practiced intermittent catheterization (male and female), suctioning and tracheostomy care. I was able to perfect these skills to give me an optimal chance of passing my OSCE first-time around. Clinical instructors who attend these open labs are an excellent resource to help us correct any small details we may have missed when practicing.