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Tressa Crevier, Patient Services Attendant - Emergency Department 

Working in the Emergency Department is incredible! The staff are like family. Everyone works as a team and I have to say that the Emergency Department staff are some of the hardest working employees at the Pembroke Regional Hospital...I am very proud to be part of this amazing team.

What are some of the duties you have at work? 

•  Being the eyes and ears of the Emergency Department waiting room. 
• Talking to the patients and making them feel at ease, especially when there is a long wait. 

• As the first person a patient sees when they enter the hospital - I provide what assistance I can after reading their body language - in many cases they are in a lot of distress.  

• I am the go-to person for the Emergency Department waiting room - the information person for the patients - they look to me to answer their questions. 

What do you love most about your job?

Interacting with the patients and being there for them. Listening and talking to patients warms my heart. Being able to be there for them is the best medicine I can give them.  

What do you enjoy most about living in the Ottawa Valley? 

The community...the people...everyone is so friendly and willing to help out wherever help is needed. 

Kari Dunn, Caseworker - Mental Health Services  

What are some of the duties you have at work? 

• Working with individuals who have a serious mental illness in order to help keep them well and living in the community through hands-on support, advocacy and connecting them with various resources.  

What do you love most about your job? 

Working and living in such a rural area, and the place where I grew up. I live right at the East Gate of Algonquin Park. I love how my little town is quiet and beautiful - so is the Ottawa Valley.  

Sarah Shorten, Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and Outreach Worker - Mental Health Services

What are some of the duties you have at work?

As an Outreach worker, I support group operations at Carefor Mackay and at ROP (Recovery Outreach Program) such as a music group I created for the mental health clients where we play instruments, sing, analyze song lyrics and rewrite songs!  

What do you love most about your job?

The clients!!!

What other positions have you held at PRH?

I previously worked on the Resource Team and on Medical as an RPN for four years. 

What do you enjoy about living in the Ottawa Valley?

I love the Petawawa Point and Black Bear Beach recreation areas as well as how supportive the community is. 

Crystal Thompson, Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) - Resource Team 

I love the feeling when I have been given the opportunity to meet a patient in the Emergency Department and follow their care from unit to unit, see their improvement, and be able to walk them out the door to return home with the confidence and supports they need. 

What do you love most about your job? 

I love my co-workers! No matter what curve balls are thrown at us, my co-workers are always supportive and willing to help increase the skills knowledge of new staff. 

What other positions have you held at PRH? 

I started at PRH as a student with Algonquin College. I was lucky to have an amazing preceptor on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit and that led to my first job as an RPN - where I developed many great skills and bonds with amazing co-workers. After nine and a half years, I spread my wings and joined the Resource Team where I was cross-trained to all the units; including Medical, Surgical, Acute Mental Health, Maternity, Rehabilitation and the Emergency Department. 

What do you enjoy most about living in the Ottawa Valley?

I love the beautiful nature we have around us...We have many walking trails, fresh water lakes and rivers enabling you to go hiking, camping, boating. We have many friendly people in the valley. It's a great balance to offset a crazy day of work - go for a walk and enjoy the beauty of clean air on your face. 

Michele Smith, Registered Nurse - Diabetes Educator 

I am so passionate about educating people about diabetes that I also do it outside of work hours as a facilitator with UHN-Michener Institute. 

What are some of the duties you have at work?

• I meet with clients to develop individualized plans to support their safety, self-management skills and reduce risks related to living with diabetes. 
• I advocate directly with physicians, pharmacies, mental health support, provincial and other agencies to ensure that our clients have the services and supports they need to be healthy. 
• We screen for mental health, foot health and smoking status. 
• We work collaboratively with other health care professionals, community services and allied agencies to support complex clients. 
• I also support inpatients through consultation to improve diabetes outcomes before discharge and facilitate support after discharge.  

What other positions have you held at PRH?

I started on 2nd Medical, then moved to the Emergency Department and eventually transitioned to a mixed Emergency/Intensive Care Unit rotation, before moving to the Ambulatory Clinics 21 years ago. 

What do you love most about your job? 

That I can make a difference both short and long term in someone's life. We form long-term relationships with our clients in the clinic and we get to stay with them on the journey as long as they want us to be there. 

What is a fun fact about you?

I started martial arts just shy of 50, got my black belt two weeks before by 55th birthday and my 2nd Dan at 57. My love language is food; ask anyone in the clinic! 

What do you enjoy most about living in the Ottawa Valley? 

Just small enough; like Goldilocks, it's not too big and not too small. We have beautiful scenery, an active arts community and are welcoming more diverse residents who enrich our experience.