February 19, 2025The potential impact that Northern Health’s values of ‘Safe, Kind, Together’ can have on our patients and colleagues, reaches far deeper than you might expect. While delivering outstanding healthcare is at the forefront of what we do, sometimes seemingly insignificant actions are what remain as an indelible impression. A nervous hand held, a calming word of reassurance, or an attentive ear that hears what is actually important to a patient in the moment, are all precious, practical applications of our values.
A little over a year ago, Harjaspreet Kaur, one of Northern Health’s new cohort of graduate nurses, had just finished her student placement when she found herself back at the hospital a week later, this time as a patient. At 33 weeks pregnant, she had developed some serious complications, and an emergency caesarean section was undertaken.
“I believe I would not have survived this trauma had it not been for the care I received,” Ms. Kaur said. “The staff were all so kind and patient with me, encouraging me so I would have the strength to eventually hold my baby.”
Her experience here as a patient helped Ms Kaur decide that Northern Health was where she wanted to nurse. In fact, she cradled her baby boy on her lap as she wrote the cover letter as part of the graduate program application, recalling all the feelings she had as a result of her time here. “I knew I wanted to be part of this beautiful team and was so excited when I was accepted”, she added.
“We are so happy to hear that the interactions of Harjaspreet as a healthcare consumer has led to her choosing to begin her nursing career with us at Northern Health,” commented Kate Duggan, Graduate Program Co-ordinator, Nursing and Midwifery Education Unit. “To personally experience our staff portraying Northern Health’s values Safe Kind and Together is heart-warming and makes me remember just how important our values are in our everyday practice.”
Those three simple words, that encapsulate our values so succinctly, seem to resonate with our staff and community. So much so that Northern Health intend to carry them into our new Strategic Plan for 2025-2029, which will be launched soon.
#WeAreNorthern #SafeKindTogether
Pictured in the featured image: Harjaspreet Kaur, Graduate Nurse. Inset image: Ms Kaur and her beautiful baby boy.
