The OIIQ Foundation’s Coup de Cœur Leadership Award Crowns The Lighthouse’s Expertise Sharing Activities

The Lighthouse Children and Families kicks off its 20th anniversary with pride as it receives the prestigious OIIQ (Quebec Order of Nurses) Foundation’s Coup de Cœur Leadership Award!

This award crowns years of efforts during which The Lighthouse made a name for itself in Quebec’s health care ecosystem, to become the leader in the field of pediatric palliative care in a community setting. Bringing together experienced nurses who manage care and services with professionals from other disciplines, The Lighthouse has developed “signature” expertise in palliative care counselling and bereavement support, as well as coordination of training and professional development.

Through its online training platform that encompasses 40 modules, and for which McGill University offers credits, The Lighthouse acts as a reference for professionals and students in different fields.

An experienced nurse, Ms Nadine Richard, member of The Lighthouse team, explored this online learning environment and completed the training process. Sharing her thoughts with Ms Helene Levesque, Director of care and services, she said that this exercise brought her to consolidate her knowledge in pediatric palliative care and to sharpen her expertise in specific areas, such as differences between children in specific age groups. She also acquired useful perspective in her understanding of the experience of families, especially as their reality changes with the trajectory of their child’s disease, thus allowing her to better adjust her interventions regarding a family’s specific circumstances. While sharing her thoughts with members of the team, she put in light how her recent training contributes to formalise knowledge that she acquired in previous studies and through precious professional experience, thus reinforcing her professional stamina.

The envelope associated to the award will help The Lighthouse support its offer for training on site (for student talent and collaborators) and online, or with video-conference presentations. Aiming to stimulate a creative, constructive and reflexive professional posture within its own team and in the health care ecosystem, The Lighthouse will intensify knowledge sharing with nurses and health care professionals, community stakeholders, parents and caregivers in different regions, so that its expertise in pediatric palliative care can reach children and families wherever they may be.