The faces of 4D
Author: Alicia Erz
They are the hub of 4D and the friendly and familiar faces greeting families and patients when they have to visit the ward. They provide administrative support for the nurses and make sure things run smoothly within the cardiac inpatient unit. They are Ali, Sharon and Kevin – the patient care information clerks of 4D.
“I’m going to make myself look like a total geek here, but I compare our roles to being on the Starship Enterprise,” said Ali. “There are all of these people working within the ship, but it is the three of us who make sure the ship is on the correct course.”
It is clear while sitting down with them that this is a tight-knit team that truly enjoys working with one another. They laugh a lot, are incredibly positive and they even finish each other’s sentences. “We are a team,” said Sharon. “We take care of one another and watch each other’s back.”
“However, if something does go wrong, we blame Kevin,” Ali says and they all laugh.
When you combine the years the three have worked at SickKids, it approaches close to 40. And they all plan to stick around as long as they possibly can. “They will have to fire us to get rid of us because we have no intention of ever leaving,” said Kevin. “This job is so much more than just coming into work, doing your shift and leaving. There aren’t really words to truly quantify how much this role means to each of us.”
The words ‘family’, ‘team’ and ‘relationships’ come up a lot as we chat and seem to sum up the environment of 4D. “When working on 4D, you feel like you are always getting a giant hug from the staff and families,” said Ali. “There are days when I’ll come into work feeling a little grumpy, but after being around the staff and families, I instantly cheer up.”
Kevin enjoys the opportunity to be a little goofy with the kids when they visit the ward. “I get to be a kid with the kids, and it is something that is appreciated and encouraged for the sake of our patients.”
There are tough moments on 4D, but there are also a lot of happy moments. Ali, Sharon and Kevin all say that getting the chance to see patients who come back to visit after they’ve been discharged is so rewarding. They have even had former patients who are now in their twenties come back to say hello.
“Knowing that you have had a positive impact on someone’s life is so fulfilling,” said Ali.
I get to be a kid with the kids, and it is something that is appreciated and encouraged for the sake of our patients.
