St. Joe’s in the Community: Students learn about safe driving from our nurses
Pictured above: Second Row: Wendy Matthews RN, Mary Hastings Nurse Educator, Shelby Wiersma, PSW and Nursing Student, Diane Davidson RN – all from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. First row: Nicole Los RN at Hamilton Health Sciences and Jennifer Italiano RN at St. Joseph’s healthcare Hamilton and Cayuga resident.
Jennifer Italiano travels by car from her community in Cayuga into work where she is a registered nurse at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Emergency Department at Charlton Campus. In her role, she has a unique understanding of how drinking and driving resulting in a car accident can lead to trauma for patients and heartache for loved ones. In order to help give back to her community and educate local students in local secondary schools about the importance of driving sober, Jennifer and a group of nurses from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton have participated in Haldimand County’s crash re-enactment for the past two years. In the simulation that occurred on Saturday, May 10th, a crowd of students watched on as a few peers acted out a vehicle collision that occurred as a result of drinking and driving. Our nurses were joined by firefighters and emergency medical service who all volunteered to bring this horrific scenario to life for educational purposes.
“The crash re-enactment is something that happens before prom is announced,” says Jennifer. “A lot of students are visual learners – and we hope this helps the community learn about what we do and also encourages students to make decisions that save lives.
With all of the local proms and graduation parties during the month of June, this initiative is a vital piece of education for all students to ensure their safety during this important milestone.