Posted by Lisa Bland (she/her),
Clinical Leader Development for Adult Surgery Inpatient and Women’s Ambulatory Clinic
“I have a passion for diverse, intersectional, women’s health. Those aren’t buzzwords for me but principles of embodying care that is built on an approach in line with health promotion, the determinants of health and a social justice lens,” Lisa Bland, Clinical Leader Development for Adult Surgery Inpatient and Women’s Ambulatory Clinic, says. “I truly get excited by my work when I can incorporate advocacy and health ethics as foundational to a strong nursing practice. Those who know me know I incorporate this approach into everything.”
As a Clinical Leader Development, Bland plans, develops, and implements educational activities for current staff and new hires. Her ongoing focus is in quality education, safety, and broadening nursing scope of practice and do what she can to share it with colleagues. Along with the always present focus of new hire orientation & building capacity with nurses, her current educational focus is on improving medication safety in the units, trauma & abuse screening, and best practices for wound care.
“Women’s health has always been an interest for me. I began working here in 2009 in gynecology & breast health, and quickly cross trained to maternal newborn health. I’ve been in this role since 2014, but I like maintaining a clinical practice and try to pick up shifts within different areas as it keeps me connected to front line nursing and the ability to make changes in a direct way for a patient.”
Bland says it’s been incredible to see the desire to learn and advocacy from peers, and she sees in all aspects of their work. Among colleagues, she has really noticed this sparking conversations about racial injustices, such as anti-black racism in health care and macroaggressions.
“What I feel hopeful about with the IWK is that we tend to truly embody the saying from Maya Angelou, “When you know better, you do better”,” Bland says. “I see this with my peers, and it makes me hopeful that we will see this change throughout all of the IWK. The work of doing better in this regard is not easy, or a short journey, however it becomes the important mantra towards improving a workplace, and patient care outcomes.”
In her personal nursing practice, Bland is also really excited by health promotion and has worked for years as a flu champion, and now with COVID-19 vaccinations.
“I’ll keep on encouraging best practice, nursing leadership and advocacy. I am excited to see how this looks within the changing work in the women’s health pathways at the IWK.”