Nana Asomaning, Nurse Practitioner, has been a key member of the Sinai Health System community since 2009. As a Geriatric Emergency Management Nurse in the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, Nana cares for some of Sinai’s most vulnerable and complex patients and takes pride in being a part of their care experience. We recently asked Nana about her work caring for older adults and why she loves working at Mount Sinai. Here’s what she had to say.
Q: What does your work caring for older patients in the emergency department involve?
A: Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM) nurses care for frail seniors who are at higher risk of suffering adverse events, losing their ability to live independently and being admitted to hospital or long-term care. As part of the emergency medicine team, we provide expert comprehensive or targeted assessments of patients’ health needs; develop and build connections between the Hospital and community organizations so we can help patients make the transition from the Hospital to their next care setting, whether that involves home care, rehab or a long-term care facility; and act as advocates for seniors through program and policy development. Ultimately, our goal is to provide safe, efficient, quality care.
Q: How is caring for older patients unique, and why is it so important?
A: With our rapidly aging population, more emergency patients require special attention. Many elderly patients have several conditions, which makes their cases particularly complex, especially considering many patients are experiencing cognitive impairment and dementia. As GEM nurses, we are focused on turning an emergency department visit that could otherwise be a high-risk situation for older adults into an opportunity to assess and manage those risks as proactively as possible to help our patients recover more quickly and return to their homes and lives as soon as possible.
Q: What do you love about working at Mount Sinai?
A: At its best, health care is an art form that brings together the best of academic medicine, where patient care is informed by research and best practices, and the human touch that makes people feel cared for as individuals. Patients don’t really remember what medication you gave them or what their blood pressure was, but they remember the feeling of being cared for. In my experience, Mount Sinai brings together the best of both worlds. There’s a real sense of teamwork, progress and the will to find innovative solutions to problems. I like knowing that, as a team, we can rely on our colleagues, even across departments and disciplines, to get patients the care they need.