Betty Oldershaw

My name is Betty Oldershaw and I am interested in running for the Region 1 Board of Directors position.

I have enjoyed a 35 + year career in nursing and feel fortunate to have had so many diverse and rewarding experiences. My nursing background has been primarily hospital focused in a variety of roles. I currently work as a Professional Practice Leader, responsible for corporate initiatives, policies and patient quality and safety within the organization’s Quality and Inter-Professional Practice Department.

I have been member of RNAO I must admit off and on for a number of years. I been on the Executive of the RNAO Chatham Kent Chapter and President for the past 4 years. I have been fortunate to have been involved with various RNAO projects as a stakeholder reviewer of BPGs, reviewed  RNAO fellowships,  speaker at Champion Workshops, attendee at Healthy Workplace Institute and as a Peer to Peer Leader for eHealth for our Erie St. Clair LHIN. Every experience increased my knowledge of the various facets of RNAO. Chatham Kent Health Alliance has enjoyed being a Spotlight RNAO Organization since 2007.

In my current role I am responsible for corporate quality and patient safety initiatives including research, development, roll-out, change management strategies, evaluation and sustainability. Some examples of these initiatives include RNAO Best Practices, Accreditation Canada’s Required Organizational Practices, and Chatham Kent Health Alliances’ Quality Improvement Plan priorities.  My involvement in case reviews includes root causes analyses and prospective risk analyses, considering systems issues, human factors, safety culture, along with balancing practice accountabilities and just culture.

My continuous lifelong learning formally consists of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ryerson University with Leadership and Management for Nurses certificate and a Master of Science in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from University of Toronto.  I was fortunate to be among a cohesive project team that focused on the transition of spina bifida patients from paediatric to adult care in Ontario. The project referenced RNAO’s ECCO report, resulting in a published article in the September-October 2016 issue of the Canadian Urological Association Journal.

Nursing is my passion. As nurses we are fortunate to be represented by the Registered Nurses’ Association and their continued advocacy for healthy public policy, social determinants of health, nursing practice and most of all to encourage us all to be that voice at the table for health care change because “we know”!

Thank you for considering my nomination.