Sun Country Health Region has adopted a new Patient First program called Releasing Time to Care (RTC) that will assist nursing staff to spend more time with patients.

The program will be implemented over the next 18 months on the medical/surgical ward at the Weyburn General Hospital and will be spread initially to all centres providing acute care in the Region.

Releasing Time to Care is about staff creating sustainable quality improvements, and releasing time for nurses to spend on more direct patient care.

The RTC program was developed in the United Kingdom with dramatic results. It has been adopted by the Health Quality Council in Saskatchewan to assist health regions in enhancing the patient care experience.

Over the summer, staff members on the medical/surgical ward at Weyburn General Hospital are learning about the program and how they can use it to improve patient care within their specific work environment.

“We are extremely pleased to work with the Health Quality Council to implement this program,” said Marga Cugnet, Vice President Primary and Integrated Health. “Sun Country Health Region wants to improve the patient experience. One of the ways to do that is to increase the time nurses can spend with their patients. We are confident our staff will run with this program and we will all benefit.”

The ultimate goal of RTC is to reduce time spent on wasted activities like searching for medical equipment, duplicated paperwork, and improving communication between staff and patients and their families.

“The essence of the program is teamwork,” said Cugnet. “It’s about front-line workers gathering and analyzing evidence, and working together to improve their environment and their activities.”