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*Note to media : This article may be reprinted in your publication free of charge. If you intend to publish this article, please contact the Media Relations department at 416-314-6197.
Even after 15 years as an operating room nurse in Mount Sinai Hospital, Mindy Shinoff looks forward to the start of each day: "I love going to work, I love what I do. I have to be a team player - being there for patients, physicians and other health care professionals." The challenges can be enormous. She can work on one surgery a day to as many as 20, depending on the procedures being done. Mindy feels especially good these days. She believes nurses are coming back to nursing and to Canada, which keeps the burden on others from growing too large. Mindy is also encouraged by other changes. Surgical advances mean that more can be done now than when she started : "Major operations are not as major anymore, techniques are more advanced. Patient education is also creating greater awareness of when something is right or wrong with our health. So much more can be treated when you go for help early. And early detection means less serious surgery and better chances for recovery." Surgery will always be a stressful experience so Mindy seeks to treat every patient as an individual: "I try to see it not just as another cataract operation, but as Mrs. Smith who has two children and who's scared of having her face covered. So I will hold her hand and talk to her and reassure her." She continues: "Even when patients are awake during an operation, it's important to make them feel safe, comfortable and warm - which can be difficult at times in the operating room. " Mindy can see more changes coming through education, which is central to her vision of healthcare. She is involved in teaching nurses preparing to work in operating rooms and helps train others in the use of specialized lasers, a high-tech procedure that requires great skill by all operating room staff. The evolution to greater teamwork is an important development that Mindy sees as a way to take advantage of the skills of all healthcare professionals: "Everybody who works in healthcare really cares and wants the best results for patients. Teamwork is becoming essential for everyone, including government." She knows that her skills can contribute to the health of patients in ways that go beyond her nursing role in an operation. She has been able to observe how patients react to anesthesia and recognize the possibility of other conditions that need treatment, such as hypertension. She knows that she can provide her input to other team members for follow up. Mindy is hopeful about the future of her profession: "Nurses are a big part of hospital care and healthcare. Recognition of their role is growing and has to grow." The higher educational standards for nurses leads to greater respect for their role in healthcare. Nursing education is moving to a minimum of a university level Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Skill certification and continuing education standards are also becoming higher all the time. The simple fact of their increased education and skills lead nurses to be respected by other health care providers. In addition, since nurses have increased skills and training, they are able to provide greater input into patient care. Another development is nurses taking on new roles, an example is that of surgical first assistant. Specially trained nurses working under the supervision of surgeons now participate in surgeries. For instance, while a cardiac surgeon is preparing a patient for a bypass, a nurse first assistant obtains a blood vessel from the patient's leg - speeding up the surgery and concentrating the surgeon's skills on where they are most needed. Once Mindy's children are older, she will also consider training for such specialized positions. There are always challenges in healthcare, but Mindy's love for her work and profession are still strong after nearly twenty years as a nurse.
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