The Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA) holds an annual banquet and ceremony that awards excellence to nurses across the province. This year the Ceremony was held at the Delta Hotel in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan. The Granger Campbell Award for Clinical Nursing Excellence is based on four categories: Nursing knowledge and clinical decision making, professional accountability and responsibility, application of best practice guidelines and acting as a role model and mentor for peers.
Koli Ann Shwaga, a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, was this year's recipient for the award. The staff and manager of the ICU nominated Koli Ann. Koli Ann worked as a study drug coordinator in cardiac research for ten years and was instrumental in bringing the first Fibrinolytic TNK to Canada and to the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.Koli Ann is a speaker for the Prevention of Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) Program for grade ten students in the Yorkton area. Koli Ann held the lead role in the LEAN program in the ICU and has been a preceptor for the University of Saskatchewan. Koli Ann is also the lead nurse for the ICU orientation process. She leads the classroom instruction and collaborates with the multidisciplinary staff to ensure new nurses are able to succeed to the highest standard. Koli Ann is instrumental in the continuing competence program and stroke prevention initiatives. She shares research and knowledge with the team to produce the best standards of care. In her spare time she takes administrative courses and is always seeking professional growth opportunities to ensure that she is continuing to give the best and most effective treatment and care to the patients. Tracy Fichtner, RN, says, "Koli Ann has orientated me over 20 years ago, and continues to mentor me. She has my absolute admiration for her patience, diligence, perseverance, and dedication". Upon accepting the Granger Campbell Award, Koli Ann explains, "we [nurses] need to raise the bar for excellent patient care, not just meet the existing bar". She goes on to recognize that this is an award that is truly deserving to all ICU staff members because "excellence is learned, taught, and displayed as a team, through collaboration and comradery".
Congratulations Koli Ann.
