UNITY — ‘Tis the season to be jolly, so the song goes. Unity health care workers have done their part to brighten the hospital with some festive fun.
Although the doors are never closed for the holidays at Unity and District Health Centre, these days people might enjoy the opportunity for a glimpse at the Christmas creations displayed on doors in the facility. Staff initiated a decorative door contest eliciting some amazing efforts.
Some of those who attended the hospital recently, for any reason, started alerting the Press-Herald of some of the work that was being displayed by health care workers in efforts to deck the halls at Unity’s hospital.
Ashley Martin, Unity and District Health Centre home care registered nurse, who helped orchestrate the initiative says, “I wanted to bring back the fun of the holiday season and Christmas spirit. Health care workers have sacrificed a lot these past few years (and truly always at Christmas time. We never close our doors for the holidays), and it was time to encourage and support each other and have fun at work again. It's really neat to walk around the facility and see all of the creative ideas. Patients, visitors and staff are all enjoying seeing the different displays.”
Martin said former care team manager, now director of continuing care NW, Deanna Miller, brought the idea to the facility in 2018, with many entries submitted for door decorating. Staff had a lot of fun with it, she said. It helped bring about teamwork as well as a healthy, competitive spirit amongst staff from all departments. The actions were continued in 2019 but then was halted due to pandemic restrictions.
Decoration teams were made up amongst those who work together in the same office or department. Martin says next year they may enlist the doctors to participate.
Photos hardly do justice to these dazzling decorated doors. For instance, the door at the Unity EMS department took staff four hours and they added to it several times after. Their theme is “The Night Before Christmas, EMS version,” which is marked on the windows of the back of the ambulance, which even shows an RCMP cruiser in one of the rear view mirrors, with Santa and his sleigh depicted on the other mirror. The door is topped by red and white Christmas lights to also represent their emergency lights.
While the general public can’t walk through the facility to check out the displays, inpatients, outpatients, residents and visitors can enjoy the displays while they are in the facility.
“Everyone is having a lot of fun with it. It is really nice to enjoy this activity as a team and not be feeling weighted down by the pressures of working the front line,” says Martin.
Winners will be announced Dec. 15, with judging taking place two days prior to that.
Martin says the group is grateful for donated prizes for winning doors with categories including best overall, most traditional, best dressed, most Christmas cheer and even an award for best try.
Health care workers dispense comfort, compassion and caring and decided these decorative efforts would be their prescription for a joyful atmosphere throughout Unity’s health centre as their gift to everyone who gets to enjoy their creations.
