The highly anticipated day was many years in the making, but as the doors opened to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon the excitement was evident as staff expressed how well it will serve families and provide state-of-the-art care for children in the province of Saskatchewan.
Taylor Sobkowicz has deep roots in Outlook where she and brothers Tanner and Teal were raised, and where her parents continue to live. Her father is Vice Principal at Outlook High School and her mother teaches in Dinsmore.
Taylor graduated from OHS in 2008 and enrolled in the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan, based on the recommendation of aptitude testing in high school. But she wasn’t convinced it was the career she truly wanted until her final year. “It wasn’t actually until my fourth year that I really fell in love with it,” she said. “It was my practicum in pediatric intensive care that changed my mind. That’s when I thought I really liked it and could see myself working here forever.”
The challenge that comes with pediatric nursing is the diversity of medical needs that can be encountered on any given shift. “We see everything,” Taylor explained. “With adults there is a unit for different things like heart conditions and kidney problems, but for the kids if you have any issues they all come to the same place.” In Taylor’s unit the medical team cares for neonates right up to children that are 17 years old so the range of needs is large. “It keeps you on your toes because there’s such a huge variety in what you see. You have to be able to pull information from many areas and you definitely learn a lot,” she remarked.
Kelsey Luedtke, niece of The Outlook publisher Delwyn Luedtke, is a Recreation Therapist, a career she first encountered as a high school volunteer on the pediatric unit. “I was supervised by the recreation therapist,” she remarked. “I always thought she had the coolest job and loved visiting with the kids and their families. It wasn’t until a few years after high school that I decided to pursue it.”
Recreation Therapists offer play, recreation and expressive opportunities to improve the physical, mental, social and emotional well-being of children and youth. “We are the service that makes kids feel like kids when they come to the hospital,” Kelsey explained. By providing an increasing number of positive experiences, children are better able to cope with hospitalization and are more compliant with their treatment plans. Those experiences include things like puppet shows, pet therapy, movie nights, firefighter visits and even walkie-talkie bingo so patients who can’t leave their rooms are able to participate and play along.
For almost 8 years Taylor worked in the pediatric ICU at Royal University Hospital. Taylor, who is married to Ian, is currently on maternity leave following the birth of their first child in July, but her excitement was evident as she spoke with The Outlook on the day her unit moved into JPCH. “When the date of its completion kept getting pushed back it kind of seemed at the time far away,” she said. “So it’s really hard to believe that today the unit I worked in is moving. It’s a bit of a ‘wow’ moment. We’ve really come so far.”
Just before beginning her maternity leave she was given a tour of the new hospital. “It is awesome,” she said enthusiastically, as she commented about the bright, colorful space that is so kid-friendly. Beyond the wide hallways and extra space, Taylor is excited about the patient rooms. “They are all individual and they all have outside windows which is amazing,” she remarked. In addition, all of the rooms have space for a parent or guardian to stay with their child. “Parents have always been welcome,” she explained, “but there wasn’t a dedicated spot for them. So the fact that this hospital is set up to be a more comfortable place for everybody; parents, siblings as well as the patient, is going to benefit our kids here in the province incredibly.”
Kelsey first become involved with the children’s hospital a few years ago when she was asked to make recommendations on one of the spaces. “I was mostly asked to provide input on our inpatient playroom, family theatre, and Child Life Zone,” she explained. The Zone is part of the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation and is a place for kids to go and feel like they are not in a hospital at all. The area includes a music room, kitchen for baking, arts and crafts bar, video gaming space, arcade games, medical play area and more. “It has something for everyone,” Kelsey said, “and we are the first hospital in Canada to have a Zone.”
Kelsey’s response to seeing the new facility was similar to the reaction Taylor had. “The bright, private rooms with views of the river, and colorful kid-friendly design and all of the family spaces made me so happy,” Kelsey remarked. “I knew it was going to be a better place for our families and for kids to heal quicker.” On her first day of work at the new hospital she could already sense the change. “Families instantly seemed settled and at home at JPCH. I saw that too, as soon as I came in on Monday morning after the move. Families seemed more at peace in this hospital because it was designed for them and by them.”
Taylor says the new hospital, the equipment it contains and the services it can offer will greatly enhance care for children in Saskatchewan. “This new building is definitely state-of-the-art, and being able to deliver better patient-centered care is going to be huge. In the ICU we see a lot of families on the worst day of their lives; kids with trauma, kids who are very ill, so this new space that is a more family-centered, family-friendly place is huge in terms of care.”
Kelsey believes the new facility will greatly impact care in her department as well, particularly the increased space and areas like the new playroom, teen room, outdoor play area, family theatre and Child Life Zone. “Having a ‘destination’ to get to while you are in hospital is huge,” she said. “These places will be motivation for the kids to get out of bed, move around, socialize, have some fun and heal."
