Member, Urinary Tract Infection Prevention Working Group

Do you know the pain and frustration of having a urinary tract infection? Imagine having one while recovering from surgery! Join this team working to prevent them from happening at Providence Health Care sites.

Open to: Patient partners in the Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley

Lead Organization or Department

Providence Health Care, Surgical Department

Aim

The goal of this initiative is to reduce urinary tract infection (UTI) rates. Patient partners will participate in evaluating current systems, developing strategies for improvements, creating education materials and will also be active partners in decision making about prevention strategies.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

• Some familiarity or personal experience with UTIs, including experience with a UTI or other preventable complication resulting from a surgery would be an asset.
• Comfortable sharing their patient experiences.
• Experience working with groups.
• If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Volunteer Agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2
• The committee meets bi-monthly at St. Paul’s Hospital. Meetings are on Mondays, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Burrard Building Level 4, Room 443.
• The meeting schedule for 2018 is: March 5, May 14, July 9, September 10 and November 5. Between meetings patients will be asked to provide feedback or work on documents exchanged via email.
• Participation on the committee will be for seven months to one year.

Reimbursement

Expenses related to travel (i.e. transit, parking up to $18/day, approved mileage) to attend the session will be reimbursed by Providence Health Care.

Background

This opportunity came as UTI rate at Providence sites increased. The UTI prevention group members come from different professional background and include:

• surgeons,
• an anesthesiologist,
• a clinical nurse specialist,
• nurse educators, OR nurses,
• and a nurse continence advisor.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Karen Estrin
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Lower Mainland & Sunshine Coast
604.668.8245
kestrin@bcpsqc.ca