RN, Grey Bruce Health Services
A passionate and dedicated advocate for prevention in domestic violence and sexual assault, this year’s registered nurse (RN) recipient of the fourth-annual Nursing Now Ontario Awards is Ellie Neary.
With professional excellence, Ellie is a Nurse Counselor and team lead for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program for Grey Bruce Health Services. Ellie is also an active member and representative on Violence Prevention Grey Bruce, a community of organizations whose mission is to end violence in all its forms. She meets with staff from many departments including Emergency, ICU, addictions treatment centres, labs, mental health, police/OPP, victim services, women’s shelters, and more in efforts to streamline services for the SANE program to improve care for better client outcomes.
To help her colleagues and ultimately her patients and clients, Ellie advocates for training opportunities, so that every SANE Nurse is able to maintain their competency in the SANE role and building portfolios for evidence in court when being called to testify in sexual assault and domestic violence cases as a SANE Nurse or expert witness. Her support and skills are paramount in assisting her colleagues.
A tireless supporter, Ellie has advocated for another SANE RN role which resulted in a new full-time counselor position. She has consistently advocated for more resources including moving the SANE program a new office closer to emergency, for electronic order sets for SANE lab work and electronic documentation. Her efforts have also led to have a designated exam room with bathroom and shower in the future.
Ellie’s gentle and professional care to clients who have experienced trauma is a true testament to her strong sense of excellence and compassion.
