MURDOCH Monthly
June 2022
CAREGIVER NEWS FROM ST JOHN OF GOD MURDOCH HOSPITAL
#visiblefromt
hemoon
OUR SKY SIGN LIGHTS UP THE SKY!
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2022 MURDOCH BALL ANNOUNCED
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ART THERAPY JOINS OUR ALLIED HEALTH TEAM
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
A message from the CEO
Welcome to the June Murdoch Monthly.
COVID-19 COVID continues to work its way through the Hospital. Over a third of our caregivers have now had the virus and well over half have been furloughed at some point. As predicted, winter sickness is worse this year than most, which means that some days, we have significantly less caregivers here than normal. We continue working hard to align our activity with the number of people that we have here, particularly looking at our elective procedures and making sure that fits with the number of caregivers on each day. It is highly dynamic and changes every day, which means this can be quite a tough equation to undertake. I thank you for the flexibility that you are showing and for your understanding that it is tough at the moment. We are trying to continue with as much activity as possible because that activity is people, and those people have been waiting a long time for their procedures, so we are keen to get them in as quickly as we can.
PPE and Visitors
Murdoch Ball 2022
There have been a few changes from the government’s perspective but it looks as though we will be continuing with masks in the Hospital and screening of visitors and patients for some time yet. You will all be kept across any changes to these restrictions in the coming weeks.
I am out-of-this-world excited about the 2022 Murdoch Ball. This year’s theme is: Murdoch Superheroes.
Director of Corporate Services announced
When: Saturday 17 September 6.00pm – 1.00am Where: Crown Ballroom, Crown Perth Dress code: Formal or Superheroes
Following a very competitive, national recruitment process, I am delighted to announce that Dilwyn Griffiths has been appointed as Murdoch’s future Director of Corporate Services. Dilwyn has done an outstanding job as the Hospital’s Director of Finance over the past five years and contributes a significant amount beyond that role. We are absolutely delighted he will be staying on in this new position. Dilwyn will head off to be part of the Peel Hospital Bid Team at the end of June. He will return late in 2022, when he will pick up the DCS portfolio from Michael Salter. We are commencing our search for a new Director of Finance now.
Patient Experience score over 80! In May, we hit a patient experience score of 81! This is a massive achievement to reach during this time, and it is a testimony to the level of care and positive patient experience you all provide, every day. Keep your eye out over the coming weeks for an announcement on how we are going to celebrate this achievement with you all!
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This year’s Ball is a celebration of Murdoch caregivers and their superhuman powers, which our patients benefit from every single day.
Caregivers on a reserved table must pay for their ticket (via bit.ly/murdochsuperheroes) by Friday 22 July 2022 (that's three pay cycles away!). After 22 July, the Marketing team will offer Murdoch caregivers on our waiting list the opportunity to purchase any remaining tickets. It is going to be the best ball so far, with more Murdoch caregivers attending than we have ever had before…! There will be a prize for best dressed so I cannot wait to see who is brave and bold enough to show off their best superhero outfit! The Marketing Team are currently working hard to get as many of you at the Ball as possible. You can see more information on page 8. #notallheroeswearcapes Take care,
Ben Edwards
Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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Our twelve caregivers of the months as well as two sneaky stand ins!
Reflection our day to day interactions with each other and our care for our patients.
Respect
Over the past 12 months in the midst of everything our hospital has been working through and around, we have been highlighting the value of respect through our caregiver formation program. Every year SJGHC selects one of our core values as a focus for formation so that we, as an organisation, can ensure our values are embedded in
This year, through the amazing work of our formation champions there have been ward displays, meeting reflections, inspirational quotes, caregiver affirmations, and changes to the way in which some teams function. In addition to these activities or maybe because of them, there continues to be a deeper expression of respect that is obvious in the interactions and attitudes of our caregivers. We know it’s been tough and at times distressing, but through every hurdle you have shown resilience and initiative. Despite the challenges of mask wearing, visitor restrictions, caregiver furloughing, and ward disruptions, you continue to honour the value of respect in all you do. We have seen this repeatedly in your careful and
thoughtful interactions with disgruntled visitors, in the friendly manner you orient caregivers from other areas to your wards, in the way you have adapted to different routines, in the extra time you spend with the patient struggling with feelings of isolation, and the quiet and gracious ways you support your colleagues who have been doing it tough. In large and small ways, you have shown your respect for others, ensuring that the missional foundations of our hospital are strong and our patients and their families, are in safe, competent and compassionate hands. Thank you for all you do and for showing deep and honest respect that treasures the unique dignity of every person and recognises the sacredness of all creation.
Jenni Ashton
Sky Sign We are very excited to have officially unveiled our St John of God Murdoch Hospital sky sign last month, a shining light during a challenging time for our health care workers. Fun fact: It's the largest sky sign in WA...!
M
Check out the masterminds behind the project through this video, which most people would have seen already...
Our Heads of Department did an honorary ‘flick of the switch’ to turn the sky sign on, which was a very exciting moment!
Peter Bremner holding the sky sign ‘plug’ Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Patient Experience Matters Murdoch NPS for MAY
Comment 1: Bridget Clancy: I felt cared for. The nurses were attentive and helpful. The specialist doctors were both available and attentive.
80.8
Ward Surgicentre
93.7
Cancer Centre
93.3
Intensive Care Unit
92.6
St Elizabeth's
86.2
Endoscopy
83.7
St Rose's
83.7
St Catherine's
82.0
St Emilie's
81.0
Day Procedure Unit
80.8
St Mary's
79.4
Sleep Studies
78.6
St Michael's
76.3
St Francis
76.1
Thomas Furlong
72.2
St Luke's
71.4
Bridget Clancy
70.6
Emergency Department
70.1
St Gabriel's
50.0
St Joseph's
50.0
ED - Observation
NA
Comment 2: Emergency Department: All the staff, both medical and administrative, were courteous, friendly, helpful and competent and the ED as a team solved my health issue in a time efficient manner. Thank you!
DJAALINJ WAAKINJ
Garage Sale Comment 3: WEDNESDAY 13TH JULY St Luke’s: Everyone was friendly
heros DJAALINJ WAAKINJ
DINING ROOM COURTYARD 12-2PM
EFTPOS AVAILABLE
Garage Sale WEDNESDAY 13TH JULY
mEDICAL RECORDS IS HOSTING, COME AND GRAB A BARGAIN!!
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and courteous and really quick with anything they had to do relating to DINING ROOM my stay. The food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble. I’m COURTYARD very impressed with the medical 12-2PM and other staff at the Hospital.
EFTPOS AVAILABLE
Hospital Score
Murdoch patients are saying:
mEDICAL RECORDS IS HOSTING, COME AND GRAB A BARGAIN!!
Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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OHS update Staying Active in Winter In winter, it can be harder to get out of bed or get outside to exercise, and we often indulge in comfort foods which can be high in fat, sugar and salt. While there is never a bad time for a delicious hot chocolate, we need to make sure we are maintaining some form of physical activity to keep that balance in check.
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Get outside when you can – Not every day of winter is unbearable. Try to go outside on a mild winter day and exercise when it is safe to do so. Soaking up some sun and getting fresh air can also help reduce stress.
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Find new activities with an exercise partner or group – As the seasons change, explore new activities to get yourself outdoor in the winter sun such as hiking, bush walking or trail running. Exercising with a partner or group can provide social support, camaraderie and distraction from bad weather.
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Look into local sports – Put a team together with your friends. Indoor soccer or netball are great ways to have a run around with friends and fuel some healthy competition regardless of the weather outside.
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Get Swimming – Find an indoor swimming pool. Swimming boosts your physical strength and heart health. Plus, being active in the water is a comfortable way to ease into exercising again if you haven’t been active for a while.
Doing regular physical activity, at least 30 minutes of moderateintensity exercise on most days of the week can do wonders for your mood, physical health and help support your immune system to fight off winter bugs. Here are some tips to help keep you physically active and feeling great through winter months. •
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Create a home gym – You can easily set up a great workout area in your living room, garage or shed. Buy some inexpensive equipment such as stretch bands, dumbbells and a stability ball. You can get fit while you watch your favourite TV show or listen to music. Fitness Apps – Try searching online for fitness apps to find exercise routines to follow along with and get yourself moving. Apps can help track your progress and motivate you to reach your goals.
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Join a Gym – Find a gym close to work or home. St John of God Caregivers receive 20% off selected memberships at Goodlife gyms, which are located right across Perth. Check out the offer on Cora.
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month Author: Ashleigh Murray, Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist The role of a colorectal nurse is to be a support and liaison person for Bowel cancer patients from their first appointment to their final treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and postoperative). Ashleigh works closely with the Colorectal surgeons, oncologists and Stomal therapists to help coordinate the patients care.
It is the second deadliest cancer in Australia, but if detected early, a stage one bowel cancer is 99% curable. June is Bowel Cancer Awareness month. The most important factor to know, is if detected early, a stage one bowel cancer is 99% curable.
Early detection Australia runs a government funded National Bowel Screening Program in which faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits are sent out via mail to individuals aged between 5074. This is designed to pick up any early asymptomatic colonic cancers or polyps by testing for non-visible blood in the faeces. In 2021, there was only a 43.5% participation rate in people who received these packs. A FIT kit can be requested from a general
practitioner (GP) from age 45 and is the preferred testing method of Bowel Cancer Australia. If positive, a colonoscopy should be performed within 30 days. There has been an increase of diagnosis in individuals aged 40-49 in recent years and one in 10 people diagnosed are under 50. Due to this, Bowel Cancer Australia have launched a campaign “Never2Young” to raise awareness around young onset colonic cancer.
Symptoms Symptoms of bowel cancer that should be investigated include blood in the stool, persistent change in bowel habit, a change in appearance of stools (narrower shape), unexplained anaemia or weight loss and abdominal pain or swelling. These symptoms may not lead
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to a bowel cancer diagnosis but should not be ignored. Checking your bowel actions before flushing is a healthy habit as it will allow you to notice any changes or blood. A GP can refer directly to a colorectal surgeon or gastroenterologist for colonoscopy - you do not need to attend an appointment first. Only some bowel cancer operations result in a stoma (colostomy or ileostomy bag), and with advances in medical technology, they are less likely than in previous years. At St John of God Murdoch Hospital, we have two stomal therapy nurses and a colorectal clinical nurse specialist that are part of our bowel cancer team. They are highly qualified and experienced in providing extensive care to patients being treated for bowel cancer.
Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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Red Apple Day Wednesday 15 June is Red Apple Day. This is an annual giving day where everyone is encouraged to support the Bowel Cancer Australia charity which supports Australians and their families going through Bowel Cancer treatment.
The apple is chosen as the logo to symbolise that if caught early, bowel cancer is very treatable. The apple logo is supposed to be an abstract of the human bowel with a small hole. This represents a hole caused by a worm.
If detected early, the worm can be removed and the apple is no longer affected - this is the same for bowel cancer. For further information on Bowel Cancer, visit www.bowelcanceraustralia.org.
IMAGE Kate Brereton (Stomal Therapy Nurse), Ashleigh Murray (Colorectal Clinica; Nurse Specialist) and Catherine Riordan (Stomal Therapy Nurse)
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
L L A T NO WEAR S E O R HE APES! C
6.00PM to 1.00AM
SATURDAY 17
SEPTEMBER 2022 CROWN BALLROOM, CROWN PERTH
$110 caregivers and partners $140 non-caregivers and partners Accommodation and ticket information via bit.ly/murdochsuperheroes To become a table coordinator (10 per table) please email Murdoch.Ball@sjog.org.au
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** In the event of the 2022 Murdoch Ball being cancelled due to government restrictions and COVID situation, a full refund of ball tickets will be provided to all ticketholders **
Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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2022 Murdoch Ball Announced! Ticketing It seems Murdoch caregivers are ready to party! Since announcing the 2022 Murdoch Ball theme last Wednesday, Andrea in our Marketing team has been inundated with Murdoch caregivers wishing to reserve tables. We have already reserved the maximum number of tables allowable in the Crown Ballroom, and a waiting list has been created. Due to this unprecedented demand, we have decided to bring forward the opening of ticket sales, to give Murdoch caregivers as much time as
possible to pay for tickets, and to ensure no table goes unfilled! In previous years tables have been reserved but then tickets have not been paid for. This has resulted in seats going to waste because it is too late for other caregivers to make plans to attend. We want to avoid that this year – hence bringing the ticket purchase deadline forward. Caregivers on a reserved table must pay for their ticket (via bit.ly/murdochsuperheroes) by Friday 22 July 2022 (that's three pay cycles away!) After 22 July, we will offer Murdoch caregivers on our waiting list the opportunity to
purchase any remaining tickets. Our priority is to fill the Ballroom with as many Murdoch caregivers as possible. If numbers permit, we will then also open sales to our colleagues from SJGHC Group. Table coordinators, please note - Unless otherwise confirmed, reserved tables are tables of 10 people (max). If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Hegney (9428 8648) or Shae Spark (9428 8651) in Marketing or email Murdoch.Ball@sjog.org.au CLICK HERE TO PAY FOR YOUR BALL TICKET!
200 da Vinci cases Surgeons Dr Arvind Vasudevan and Dr Ding Guo celebrated their 200th combined robotic radical prostatectomy on 27 May at Murdoch, with these fun cupcakes! Celebrating with both doctors was Mini, our Clinical Nurse for Robotics, who has trained 18 caregivers on the da Vinci robot over the past 2.5 years.
Dr Vasudevan said "It is amazing to see what can be achieved when two like minded urologists collaborate, support and respect each other's work. Achieving this milestone would not have been possible without the help of the fantastic team that we work with. Without Mini, we definitely could not be in the position we are today. I sincerely thank her for all her efforts."
The da Vinci robot deployed late 2019 and is used in a range of surgical fields including urology, gynaecology, colorectal and bariatric.
IMAGE Dr Arvind Vasudevan, Mini and Dr Ding Guo
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Caregiver Charity Spotlights It comes as no surprise that we have many Murdoch caregivers who are passionate about giving back to the community. This month we are highlighting some of the charities our caregivers are raising money for.
Beyond Blue Three of our wonderful caregivers – Jeannie Oxford (RN), Tash Clutterbuck (RN/ Clinical Educator) Suzanne McDermott (ward clerk) and one other participant, are doing the Coastrek Margaret River team trekking challenge, which is happening in October 2022. They will be hiking a very, very long way to support mental health and wellbeing with Beyond Blue – 35km in one day to be exact!
to raise awareness and funds for mental health, supporting Lifeline. The number 3,139 is putting the spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2020. If you would like to support this great cause, you can do so via this link: www.thepushupchallenge.com. au/fundraisers/evabreen
If you would like to support their fundraising efforts, you can do so via this link: www.coastrek.com.au/ s/35953/40342/e
Push-up challenge – Supporting Lifeline Eva Breen (RN of 24 years at Murdoch) is completing 3,139 push-ups in 24 days
Chris’ creative submission wins Patient Experience competition During Patient Experience Week, caregivers were given the opportunity to submit patient experience project ideas. After receiving many incredible the winner of the competition was announced as Chris Boyd from Security! While Chris’ projects are still under wraps, while work goes
in behind the scenes to get them off the ground, we would like to congratulate Chris and thank him for his incredible positivity and passionate ideas.
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Art therapy joins our Allied Health team Murdoch is delighted to be bringing back the cARTwheels art trolley, under the guidance of a qualified Art Therapist. After the very successful and popular single use art packs program, cARTwheels has been expanded! This current program is a 12week scoping project to trial a number of different Art Therapy modalities and assess the benefits to patients at Murdoch Hospital, with a view to the incorporation of Art Therapy as an integrated component of the multidisciplinary allied health offering. In addition to arts activities that patients can do on their own, the Art Therapist will be offering 1:1 art therapy sessions, and exploring opportunities for group work in the future. To help the Arts and Health team get this program established, we ask caregivers to keep the benefits of Art Therapy in mind when assessing their patients’ needs. Meet Iris, our qualified Art Therapy can: Art Therapist
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Alleviate anxiety and depression Relieve boredom & loneliness Increase empathy Empower the patient/client to take control in their life – “I’m back!” Improve communication and relationships
The brilliant thing about Art Therapy is that the participant doesn’t need to be an artist to make significant progress or change, and the exercises are simple, easy and fun. Art Therapy intervention is subtle and gentle yet powerful and deep. In clinical settings, Art Therapy has been shown to: • Have a positive effect on a patient’s physical and psychological wellbeing • Reduce drug consumption – creating art/journaling keeps a patient’s mind off their pain • Shorten the length of stay in hospital • Improve job satisfaction of caregivers/staff • Improve mental healthcare
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How to access art therapy for patients: Art Therapy sessions, and the cARTwheels trolley, will be available on Mondays and Thursdays. To arrange a session, caregivers are asked to refer during Patient Journey Meetings. As part of the trial phase, art therapy will be available only to the following wards until further notice: Cancer Centre, St. Luke’s, Thomas Furlong and St Joseph’s. The Art Therapist, Iris Whitelock, is located in the Lower Ground Floor Admin 4 office suite. Questions about the SJGHC approach to arts and health, and the organisations arts and health philosophy and framework can be directed to Emily Lees, Group Coordinator Arts and Health. Email Emily at Emily.Lees@sjog.org.au
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Develop health practitioners’ empathy across gender and cultural diversity. cARTwheels trolley
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Thrive Councils begin We believe in empowering our caregivers to make the best possible decisions about their patients and work environment and Thrive Councils are a way for us to achieve this.
Adapted for Murdoch from the evidence-based nursing leadership model known as Shared Governance, Thrive Councils empower caregivers to innovate and problem solve to improve care. Each Thrive Council is made up of
elected caregivers from each department. This is our 2022 Thrive Council cohort in action during their training session. This year will see two new councils, including the Cancer Centre and Catering teams.
Fire extinguisher training Chris Boyd from Security is back and better than ever for Fire Extinguisher training!
Times
Dates July 12th
Oct 12th
10:00
13:30
August 1st
Oct 28th
10:30
14:00
Sept 5th
Nov 17th
11:00
14:30
Sept 13th
Nov 24th
11:30
15:00
Oct 3rd
Dec 12th
12:30
15:30
13:00 Training undertaken in the MURETC Auditorium. Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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Palliative Care Week 2022 This Palliative Care Week (22 – 28 May 2022) we featured some of our Palliative Care team around the Hospital, to highlight their roles in the palliative setting. Check them out:
The Hospice also did a ‘Winter Comfort’ raffle to raise funds for Djaalinj Waakinj - $500 to be exact! Check out the winners here. Music engagement volunteer Joel won first prize and Hospice nurse Michelle won third, with Amy (pool nurse, not pictured) winning second.
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
Donor-funded Spiritual Distress Study at St John of God Murdoch Hospital The missing link in cancer care Spiritual distress is a condition experienced by many patients and carers following a cancer diagnosis. This condition can be allencompassing and difficult to articulate for the people experiencing it, and is known to cause feelings of alienation, helplessness, and hopelessness. Evidence supports the need for health care professionals to develop ethical and compassionate relationships with patients and carers, and where necessary, provide support and evidence-based interventions in response to spiritual distress. Thanks to generous donor funding, Professor Leanne Monterosso and a multidisciplinary team of researchers have been able to commence
testing an evidence based, sixweek group therapy program at St John of God Murdoch Hospital. The program began in October 2021, with participants being self-nominated Cancer Centre patients and their carers who had reported spiritual distress. “Our program is based on previously tested group psychotherapy program, using a psycho-spiritual-mindfulnessbased cognitive behavioural model,” says Professor Monterosso. “We commenced by running one six-week group therapy program which has been completed, and we will continue to follow-up participants for three months to determine how the program has achieved our aim of longer-term effectiveness.” According to Professor Monterosso, initial feedback from participants in the study has been overwhelmingly positive, and indicates they view this
form of support as “the missing link” in their cancer treatment. “We believe this type of treatment should be offered to all patients and their carers, to help manage the often debilitating impact of a cancer diagnosis and treatment on emotional and spiritual wellbeing.” Philanthropic funding through St John of God Foundation has also enabled the expansion of this study for a further two years beyond the initial pilot program, which will support the future vision for the program to be available for cancer patients and their carers across St John of God Hospitals and Services. We are incredibly grateful for the generous donor support that will enable St John of God Murdoch Hospital to continue to offer this important program to Cancer Centre patients and their carers, and to support them on their cancer journey.
IMAGE Alexis Cranfield (Clinical Nurse Researcher) and Professor Leanne Monterosso (Chair of Nursing)
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
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Crazysocks4docs day The Crazysocks4docs Trust Foundation was established to fulfil Geoff Toogood’s vision of breaking down the stigma around mental health
issues in doctors and health professionals. On this day, and every day, we acknowledge that the people
who spend their life taking care of their community and looking after other people, sometimes need to reach out for help as well.
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
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Murdoch Monthly - June 2022
NAIDOC Week Acknowledge this! A number of caregivers are doing a course called Acknowledge This! which is a fun interactive training workshop on how to deliver an authentic Acknowledgement of Country (AoC). Many people that deliver an AoC read from a script, ad lib one they have heard elsewhere or, worse case scenario, treat it as a ‘tick box’ part of housekeeping. This tokenistic presentation defeats the purpose of AoCs which make you feel connected to each other, Country and culture. The caregivers partaking in this training will be provided the foundations to create a genuine and authentic AoC, focusing on the place, people and position we are in. They will be taught how to articulate it (the words), and how to make it personal and authentic to us and our organisation. It will also address the challenges of delivering an AoC, common questions and fears, and offer a simple structure to start building one’s own authentic AoC.
Celebrate NAIDOC Week 2022 NAIDOC 2022 invites the nation to embrace First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage and equally respect the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders as they do the cultures and values of all Australians.
Wadumbah Dance Group will be performing to celebrate NAIDOC Week with Murdoch caregivers, VMO’s and providers:
Function Rooms MURTEC Tuesday 12 July 2.30pm All welcome naidoc.org.au
Do you have a story for us? Share your stories!
Do you have a story for us? Know someone who should be recognised for their efforts? Get in touch! Contact Murdoch.Marketing@sjog.org.au with your stories and photos or share on Pulse.
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