Welcome to 17A and 17B at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre For patients, families and visitors Read this pamphlet to learn more about: unit policies on 17A and 17B health care professions who are part of your care how you can take part in your care who to call if you have questions Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: www.uhnpatienteducation.ca 2015 University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only. Authors: 17A/B health care team, Sharon Reine, Gary Coe, Sarah Wood, Pearlina Dawes and James Smith Created: 1/2015 Form: D-5332
Welcome to 17 A and 17B The Medical and Radiation Oncology Unit at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Unit phone numbers: 17A Phone: 416 946 4499 17B Phone: 416 946 4696 What we do Units 17 A and 17B specialize in treating and caring for patients with all types of cancer, except blood related cancers. Patients with blood related cancers stay on other wards at the hospital. We treat and care for patients who need to be in hospital for their cancer treatment or to manage the side-effects of the disease and/or of the treatment. We are committed to having you and your family take part in your care. 2
If you were admitted under the Radiation Oncology Service: Unit Doctor (Clinical Associate) works with your Radiation Oncologist. Their hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. After hours and weekends: you will see Senior Staff Physicians, On Call Residents and Fellows If you were admitted under the Medical Oncology Service: Unit Doctor (Clinical Associate) and a rotating Medical Oncologist Staff physician work with your Medical Oncologist. Their hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. After hours and weekends: you will see Senior Staff Physician, On Call Residents and Fellows What should I bring when I am admitted? ;; Your medications including eye drops, inhalers, and patches if possible. Some of your medications may not be available in the hospital pharmacy. ;; All your personal care items, such as eye glasses, walker, tooth brush and toothpaste. The hospital does not supply these. Nurses can give you small soap packets. ;; Copy of your Power of Attorney, if you have one. Remember: the hospital is not responsible for personal items such as laptops, wallets and jewellery. Please send these items home when possible. 3
Working with my health care team Princess Margaret is a teaching and research hospital linked with University of Toronto. We use a team approach to care for you. To make sure you are included in the team, the nurses will give a shift report at your bedside, if you agree. This allows you and your family to ask questions about your care. Your team may include: Doctors Staff Medical/Radiation Oncologists, Medical/ Radiation Fellows, Residents, Clinical Associates, Interns and Medical students Nurses Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nursing Coordinators, and Nursing Students Other Allied Health professions Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Respiratory Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Dietitians, Radiation Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Spiritual Care Professionals and many other consulting medical or surgical services Who is on my health care team? Registered Nurses (RNs) The nurses at Princess Margaret have special knowledge and skills to care for patients with cancer. They work either: daytime from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm nighttime from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am 4
Clinical Nurse Specialists Work with the team to help manage your symptoms, for example skin care. Physiotherapists Help maintain or improve your overall fitness and health, as much as is possible Available Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Social Workers Occupational Therapists Help patients and families to cope with the illness and being in hospital Provide counselling, support and help to prepare you for when you leave the unit Ask your nurse for a referral or call Psycho-Social Oncology directly at internal extension 4525. Help with your daily tasks such as dressing and bathing Available Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Pharmacists Review your medications with you within 1 or 2 days of your admission Check for drug interactions and allergies (if you have an allergy, the nurse will apply an allergy band to identify you) Will let you know if you need to use your own medications. Otherwise, please do not use your own medications because our unit will provide them to you Please ask any member of your health care team if you have questions. 5
What is the Palliative Care Team? Palliative care is a type of care that helps you manage your pain and symptoms, your emotional health and advanced care planning. The focus is to improve your quality of life while coping with advanced cancer. The Palliative Care Team includes Clinical Nurse Specialists and Palliative Care Physicians. It is a consult service that works with the medical and radiation oncology teams. How can I keep track of my health care team? Please see page 9 of this booklet to write down the names of the different health team members who are part of your care. Also, the white board near your bed will be updated with the name of your nurse for that day. Your safety is important to us We help to keep you safe by focusing on 3 areas: 1. Preventing falls Your nurse will ask you if you have have fallen before or have problems with walking or balance or. If you feel weak, sick, dizzy or faint, do not try to get up from bed or a chair alone. Use the call bell to get help. 2. Preventing the spread of infections Use hand sanitizer (gel) provided or wash your hands: before eating after using the washroom after coughing or sneezing 6
3. Making sure you get the right medication Your nurse will check your name and Medical Record Number or date of birth on your ID band before giving you any medications. What are the visiting hours? Visiting hours are 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, but we are flexible depending on the situation. If you are in a private room, you are allowed to have one person stay overnight. and one same sex member in a semi-private providing the other patient does not object. Please ask at the nursing station. There are 2 visitors lounges: 1. Small lounge 17A near the back elevators 2. Large lounge on 17B for all patients What about meal times? Meals are served at about these times every day: Breakfast: 9:00 am Lunch: 1:00 pm Dinner: 6:00 pm We also have a pantry on each unit with a refrigerator and microwave that you can use. Please use the labels to write your name and the date on your personal food items. The fridge is cleaned once a week. We throw away items with no labels. 7
What do I need to know about leaving the hospital? Leaving the hospital is called discharge. We are committed to involving you and your family in planning for your dishcharge by looking at your health and your care needs. We may ask you and your family to join a meeting with your health care team to plan for your discharge. Your choices may include going home or going to another health care facility. A Social Worker and Community Care Access Centre Coordinator are often part of the planning. We will help you and your family to fill out any forms for homecare programs and other facilities. Discharge time is 11:00 am What if I have any comments or concerns? Pearlina Dawes RN, Unit Manager Phone: 416 946 4501 ext 5899 Jim Smith RN, Unit Patient Care Coordinator Phone: 416 946 4501 ext 3570 8
My Health Care Team My Staff Oncologist (main doctor at PM) is: My Unit Doctor (Clinical Associate) is: My Social Worker is: Other team members: Notes The development of patient education resources is supported by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. 9