Winnipeg General Hospital 150th and HSC Winnipeg 50th Anniversary Memory Wall

I love working in a role that allows me to support patient care holistically through health education, navigation and chronic illness management. Our team of nurses, doctors and allied health professionals work collaboratively to strategize and develop individualized and specialized care plans for our patients and families. As a nurse, I really appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with so many other professions and use my critical thinking and clinical judgement skills to make informed patient care decisions.

We want to create an environment that says ‘Come here, this is a safe space and you are welcome here.

I am thankful for the team that I work with in PICU every day. There are so many brilliant minds working together to provide such a high level of care to our patients. Our team is a caring and compassionate group of people who all genuinely care for our patients and each other. It’s an environment filled with support and encouragement and a big reason that I love what I do!

Working in hemodialysis really improves your skills: from assessment to critical thinking and response time, to managing many aspects of acuity and chronic health conditions with multiple patients at the same time. Learning how to problem solve independently and as a member of a bigger team is a skill that is definitely built here and is transferable to any health setting.

I love the resilience that patients show us. There is so much diversity in patients in NICU – caring for a term baby as well as one born prematurely and getting the vast experience of ICU care. I love seeing families go home

The operating room is a very fast paced environment with lots of learning opportunities. If you like anatomy and physiology, then this is the place for you. You’ll experience that teamwork feeling here in the OR. I love my job & look forward to many more years!

“I have felt fortunate to lean on the experience and knowledge of the nurses around me. Having those learning opportunities available have made such a difference in becoming the nurse I am today. There is always someone willing to answer your questions and to learn from.”

Medicine offers great learning experiences and work settings so that I am able to increase and enhance my skills and knowledge.

Our house as we call it – can be very intimidating, but it is also very rewarding. Our team is a family and when we see patients get better we know our efforts have helped them. I’m proud to say being in the MICU, I’ve grown into an even better nurse.

WN5 is a unit that’s special to my heart. It’s not only a really interesting place to work with a broad patient population consisting of gynecology, oncology, and antepartum patients ranging in age and experience, but it’s also a unit that is extremely supportive with an amazing team mentality. You’re never alone.

I had the honour to work with Alice Dyna (Head Nurse, with several assistants who oversaw every shift of SIC) in the Recovery Room & Surgery ICU, before it was divided into two units. As an RN, I  worked there from 1973-76, completing the ICU Course and having incredible experiences as a relatively new grad (Grace 1972). Truly a learning experience. While challenging at times, I loved every minute – even calculating AaDO2s (LOL). Staff were encouraged to present on topics during education days. Bedside ICU nurses were well respected by the physicians. Dr Keith Warrian and Dr Lewis Oppenheimer were our primary residents and always knew exactly what was going on and how to give the best care.

Some of my favorite memories at HSC come from the multiple staff art projects that we completed over the years. I coordinated the projects at the Wellness Fairs and Earth Day and hundreds of staff helped each project come to life! The staff of HSC never cease to amaze me, and I am lucky I was able to get to know so many of them through my past Staff Wellness role. I also have many other fond memories from the Wellness Fairs and events hosted by Staff Wellness, not to mention the daily joy I had when I worked in the staff gym.

Jodi Walker-Tweed has connections to WGH and HSC going back to her birth. Pictured above at the front entrance to the WGH Women’s Pavilion, Jodi is cradled in her Mom’s arms as they prepare to go home in 1968. Years later, Jodi would attend the HSC School of Nursing and go on to nursing and leadership roles at HSC and within the regional health authority. Currently, Jodi is the Shared Health Provincial Clinical Service Lead for Critical Care Emergency & Trauma and her office is located at HSC. “Being on the same campus still feels like ‘home’,” she says. Jodi gave birth to both of her children at the same hospital (now known as HSC Winnipeg Women’s Hospital).

Following her graduation from the WGH Operating Room Technician program in 1964, our mother worked in the WGH surgery. She loved the work and her colleagues.

While being interviewed by a group of medical and surgical residents recently,  they asked her advice about what was most important for them to remember in the OR. “Be humble,” she said. Then added, with characteristic humour, “And don’t throw scalpels.”

Both of my kids were born at Women’s Hospital. My son in 2020 and my daughter in 2022. We experienced warm and caring staff, clean and modern facilities, and just an overall positive time. Thank you to everyone in the labour and delivery unit for everything they did for us!

“I enjoyed interacting with patients in a meaningful manner to give them some respire from whatever illness was affecting their lives. That’s probably the most rewarding part of volunteering.”

“I believe I am very fortunate working here and I have great people to work with. It’s like a family”