Caring for the body and mind

For Navpreet Kaur, a seasoned registered nurse in the Endoscopy Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital, taking care of a patient’s physical illness is only part of a nurse’s responsibilities. After 17 years of nursing, she understands that listening to a patient and their families, answering their questions and helping ease a patient’s nerves is equally important in making a difference.

As a teenager, she knew she wanted to be involved in the medical field, either as a physiotherapist or a nurse – she opted for nursing and never looked back. Educated in India, she worked for three years as a clinical instructor before moving to Canada. After a year of navigating the complexities of evaluations and credentials, she became a palliative homecare nurse in Toronto. “Sometimes you don’t have to say anything – just being there makes a difference.”

She then joined Toronto’s Humber River Hospital in the emergency room, surgery, and oncology, before moving to London and joining St. Joseph’s Endoscopy Clinic where doctors use a small tube with a camera to look inside the body.

She admits many patients are nervous when they enter the endoscopy clinic and appreciate it when staff take the time to chat with them, listen to them and answer their questions. As an RN, Navpreet sees patients from beginning to end; admitting patients, taking their history, soothing their pre-procedure nerves, being there for the procedure and in recovery.

“I love it here. I love the team and I love St. Joseph’s values. Our team follows St. Joseph’s values in how we treat patients every day. They are so thankful for the care we provide to them."

- Navpreet Kaur, RN in Endoscopy Clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital

Drawing on her background as an instructor, Navpreet loves mentoring the next generation of nurses. She says even though society has changed, the foundation of nursing has not. It is still about compassion, helping patients, communicating with them, and connecting with those in our care.