Nursing students at Georgian College will now get valuable experience working with end of life patients being treated in hospice care, thanks to a new placement program. In January, the college launched its new 72-hour placement program with five hospices in Simcoe Muskoka, allowing students to observe and participate in patient care under the guidance of experienced nurses. “In school, we’re taught all the hard skills, like how to administer drugs, how to do wound care,” said Tenneyson Smith, a third year nursing student wrapping up their placement at Hospice Huronia in Penetanguishene. “I think a lot of what I wanted was learning how to hold space for someone and learning some of the communication and soft skills as well.” The program was made possible by Cathy Robitaille, Hospice Huronia’s Director of Care. Robitaille spent years teaching at the college and worked as a registered nurse. Nearing her retirement in April, Robitaille said she wanted to ensure a pathway for students to gain valuable skills in palliative care was created. “Having been an instructor at Georgian College, I didn’t feel we did enough of that preparation for students to deal with people as they are nearing the end of life,” she said. “That was always a goal of mine, was to somehow integrate students into more information about death and dying so that they can make that a really good process for patients.” Hospice Huronia said palliative and hospice care is a growing need in Canada for nurses to get involved in. According to 2021 Census data, the largest population group in Simcoe County alone was made up of men and women 65 and older, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of the total population. “We should see this throughout the province, this is truly something,” said Debbie Kesheshian, Hospice Huronia’s Executive Director. “A lot of other regions are already doing this. It just is a wonderful win-win opportunity.”
