Wonder Woman, step aside; meet a health care super hero

We’ve seen, heard and read stories about doctors and nurses in hospitals and in public health roles being stretched to the limit. Those physicians and public health officials had the spotlight on them through daily appearances in national media during the pandemic.  

However, the important role that home care nurses - largely unsung heroes - have played in the healthcare system long before the pandemic began is undeniable.

Many Ontario seniors wish to remain in their own homes to receive care.

Donna-Rae Pareigis, a registered nurse and home care nurse with the Bayshore Home Care Solutions North East office in Sault Ste. Marie, is part of a team of healthcare professionals that provides precious care accompanied with compassion and good cheer.

“As a home care nurse, nothing is more rewarding than to see my clients recover,” Pareigis said.

“Sometimes our goal is to maintain a client’s quality of life with effective pain management, managing symptoms with treatments and medications ordered by their physicians, surgeons and specialists.” 

“Other times, our goal is as simple as putting a smile on their face, sharing a laugh and leaving our clients feeling better than they did before we got there,” Pareigis said.

Faces brighten and spirits are lifted - a vital part of treatment - as home care nurses arrive at the door with a great deal of equipment, patiently take the time to attend to their clients’ particular needs and share friendly, conversational good cheer.

Indeed, some home care nurses who visit clients - sometimes on a daily basis - become ‘one of the family’ while still maintaining the level of professionalism the healthcare system demands.

“Who wouldn't want to recover at home, sleeping in their own bed, eating the foods they enjoy and relaxing in peace and quiet. Clients are happy to receive care from home care nurses and are very appreciative when they recover and heal quicker with less chance of infections in their home environment,” Pareigis said.

“We visit our patients, our clients, in the comfort of their own home with loved ones and family members at their sides. They’re included in the ‘circle of care.’ Sometimes we are the only contact for clients in the community and we advocate for all client care needs required, along with some TLC.”

Home care nurses work alongside a multidisciplinary team of physicians, home and community care support service managers, PSWs, occupational therapists, dieticians, social workers, Sault Area Hospital (SAH) and the Community Palliative Care Team.  

They perform many of the same medical treatments a patient would receive in a hospital, including intravenous treatments, wound care, peritoneal dialysis with machines known as cyclers, nephrostomy (kidney treatment), ileostomy and ostomy care, palliative pain and symptom management and surgical post-operative care.

Home care nurses also serve, to a great extent, as educators. 

“There’s a large focus on health teaching for our clients and their family members to maintain independence with care and control of their own health,” Pareigis said.

Home care agencies such as Bayshore Home Care Solutions assign nurses to clients while coordinators work to arrange their assignments. 

Bayshore Nurses serves Sault Ste. Marie, Garden River First Nation, Elliot Lake and several other rural areas.

“We travel in our own vehicles and carry our supplies, indoor shoes, equipment, PPE like masks, shields, gowns, gloves and laptops (used to keep electronic charts for each client) to each home,” Pareigis said.

On a humorous note, she describes all that equipment as a home care nurse’s ‘super hero gear.’

“We call our assigned clients the evening before to arrange an approximate time for the scheduled visit.”

“We need to dress for the weather, bring our water and snacks to get us through our day and hope we can find a public restroom during city closures to control the spread of COVID-19.”

“Although we don’t provide acute emergent care, we take turns working on call with 24/7 nursing support and complete extra visits required to manage care issues to prevent unnecessary visits to the SAH Emergency Department. Communication is key within our team. Although we work in the field independently, we rely on our co-workers, coordinators and managers to provide safe, effective and competent care to our clients in the community,” Pariegis said.

Wonder Woman, step aside.

Super heroes indeed.

Pareigis graduated from Sault College's nursing program in 1995.

As a registered nurse over the last 27 years, she has amassed a great amount of knowledge and experience in many different health care settings, including hospitals in Canada and the U.S., long term care homes and clinics.

“I found my niche in home care nursing as a visiting nurse 15 years ago,” Pareigis said.

The job, she added, is one she recommends to up and comers currently studying nursing at colleges and universities.

“I highly recommend nursing students choose community nursing for their consolidation placement to gain experience with head to toe assessments and development of a diverse set of skills.”