Team Quinte Health: We All Make a Difference
Jamie Robertson-Golden is a Recreation Therapist at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) and Trenton Memorial Hospital (TMH). Her outgoing personality and contagious smile arewelcoming to patients and staff alike.
Jamie knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in therapy. She started getting involved in healthcare when she was 13 years old, volunteering and eventually working as an activity aide at a nursing home through high school. She followed her passion and got her four-year degree in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Waterloo.
Stacey Daub, President and CEO of Quinte Health, recently spent time with Jamie to learn more about her role. Jamie explained that recreation therapists’ responsibilities extend beyond merely organizing activities (e.g. music therapy, pet therapy, gardening, crafts). They are an essential part of the inter-professional team and are involved in planning, coordinating, conducting leisure assessments, and assisting with discharge notes. Their work follows a structured process encompassing social, physical, emotional, and cognitive activities. They also create personalized plans for patients waiting on an alternate level of care (ALC) destination and conduct brief assessments with other patients to determine their interests and capabilities.
Stacey had the opportunity to participate in a music therapy session with Jamie and 15 patients at PECMH and was inspired by what she saw.
“Jamie made my week! It was an absolute honour to watch her in action. Jamie skillfully and compassionately found unique ways to engage every person in the room, no matter their cognitive or physical abilities. From toe-tapping to wheelchair dancing to singing, she found a way to make every person feel connected and a part of something. She truly understands that all humans want to experience love, connection, purpose and joy. With a lot of ingenuity and determination, she meaningfully connected with every person in the room. On my way out, one of Jamie’s nursing colleagues stopped me to let me know that in addition to the incredible impact she has had on the lives of our patients, she has been a source of inspiration and support for their entire team.”
#OurPeople #WeAllMakeADifference
