Lenore Howey, the laboratory manager at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, made a pledge for Saskatchewan’s first Change Day – and she put it into action.
After attending the provincial Quality Summit in Saskatoon in May 2014, Lenore was inspired to act. At the summit, she took in a lecture given by the CEO of a Canadian hospital, who spoke of the impact her name tag had at that facility.
Patients and visitors to the hospital, often confused the lab staff with nursing staff outside of the laboratory setting, so Lenore decided she wanted to improve the name tags for her staff, and she set to work on creating a new design.
“Lab staff have often expressed the concern that they are not recognized differently on wards when outside the lab. The name tag would not only identify them outside the lab with a name, but also with department identification,” Lenore said.
“I went home and tried to come up with a template. Remember my skill is lab medicine, not graphic arts,” she joked.
Lenore tweaked the design several times, and she’s now pleased with the name tag she wears. She reports receiving many positive responses from others when she visits various Saskatoon Health Region facilities. The new name tag does not replace standard Region employee identification, but enhances it.
Lenore was introduced to the concept of Change Day through Helen Bevan of the NHS in England – a person Lenore calls “a great change agent.”
“I decided to participate in Change Day because the concept is exceptional,” said Lenore. “What are the possibilities when everyone gets involved in a small improvement?”
Saskatchewan’s first Change Day was held on Nov. 6, 2014. For more information, visit www.skchangeday.com or watch the below video.