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What Makes Us Unique

Sometimes the smallest thing can set apart two otherwise identical organizations. With seven regional health and social services authorities in the Northwest Territories the question of what makes us different than everybody else needs to be asked.

• Government is notorious for making the simplest of tasks complicated. Whenever possible, we simplify processes to reduce the opportunity for mistakes to occur. Example: Suicide protocol flow sheets visually identify the critical steps involved in managing suicide ideation, attempts, and completions reducing response times and increasing effectiveness of the management of the case and people involved.
• We recognize our limitations. We can’t be good at everything given we are such a small organization. There are purchasing professionals within the health and social services system that have the knowledge and leverage to buy efficiently and follow/monitor the GNWT purchasing policies. We have retained these services from another Authority to minimize the time we spend on buying. We’ve also simplified our internal ordering processes and adapted it to account for the complex logistics associated with purchasing in remote areas. This means more time for clients.
• We support each other. Rural and remote practice can be exhausting and the thought of being left alone to deal with a potential emergency can be daunting. The on-call nurse has the authority to call back any resources he/she needs to manage the situation effectively, whether its someone to drive a client to the airport, manage crowds, or another nurse to assist with the care of client. We don’t just protect the public we protect each other.

These are a few of the small things that pay off large dividends for our staff and clients. There are numerous examples to cite…Keeping competent staff improves patient outcomes. Letting social workers be social workers and nurses be nurses sounds intuitive, but making it a reality takes a lot of hard work, something that is more of a moving target than an end result.