An Abbotsford nurse was among 36 nurses across the province who were recognized for excellence at an annual event last month.
Vicky Bach, a clinical nurse specialist with Fraser Health, received the Award of Excellence in Nursing Practice from the College of Registered Nurses of B.C.
An awards ceremony was held Sept. 25 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver.
Bach is considered an expert in gerontology, medicine and palliative care, and is regularly consulted by health practitioners and leaders.
In 2010, Bach spearheaded a “competency assessment planning and evaluation tool” used in caring for older adults that was adopted provincially by numerous health authorities.
When Bach identified gaps in practice when nurses were caring for patients with delirium and related behaviours, she developed a worksheet that staff could use to document the activities of a patient over several days.
She also developed a “care path” to standardize and regionalize stroke care across Fraser Health. Her work in that area was presented to the International Stroke Congress in 2013.
Bach also publishes for Fraser Health a monthly newsletter on various geriatric conditions and has authored numerous publications on end-of-life and nursing roles.
Bach earned her master of science in nursing from McMaster University in 2005 after winning multiple academic awards.