Audrey Wargnier, an inspiring and passionate healthcare professional
After a decade as a geriatric nursing assistant specializing in psychogeriatrics in a nursing home, Audrey Wargnier now works as a zootherapist, photographer, and trainer for healthcare professionals.
Manon: Hello Audrey! Where does this attraction to skincare come from?
Audrey: Hello Manon! It's quite personal, as is often the case with tastes and attractions. It comes from my grandfather. He's the one who gave me the taste for care and mutual aid.
We are a family very involved in social and community work. My grandfather participated in many scientific committees, created care centers, and was always driven by mutual aid. My grandmother taught French to children of immigrants. As an anecdote, I am the only one in the family (5 children, 13 grandchildren) to be in healthcare; I was able to announce to my grandfather just before he passed away that I was going to become a nursing assistant. He passed away in the EHPAD (nursing home) where I spent my entire career. As a child, I went with him to certain meetings, and I know that I was always fascinated by his charisma and how a "simple worker" was able to work in the field of care and social work. He was respected by the great professors, doctors, and political figures of the city of Reims.
Can you briefly describe your background?
I have had a very diversified professional career. I started my professional life in commerce, then personal circumstances led me to work alongside the healthcare environment from the patient's perspective. After reviewing this first phase of my life, I realized that I needed to pursue an occupation that aligned with my professional and personal values. So I decided to train at the Nursing Assistant school to learn the basics of the occupation, and then progress from there. From the very first internship, I knew that the healthcare environment was made for me!
Initially attracted to technical sectors such as resuscitation, I was offered a permanent position in geriatrics, which I accepted, keeping in mind the desire to evolve later. But I fell in love with geriatrics! My department was very creative in the care of patients with Alzheimer's, with certain limitations, of course. It was during a conference on non-drug-based Montessori interventions that I discovered animal mediation. Immediately enthusiastic, I started by bringing my own dog to the hospital to observe the effects on the residents. It was a real 'magic wand' effect with the animal; the residents were transformed by contact with it. At first, I was not trained in the profession, but I quickly felt the need to reinforce this passion with technical skills, with the encouragement and enthusiasm of my hierarchical superior and colleagues from the orderly to the doctor. Afterwards, everything was not rosy, and I experienced difficulties in my profession that most caregivers encounter...
What were these challenges and how did you overcome them?
I have known the golden age and the decline of the nursing assistant profession!
In recent years, the lack of human resources has been felt, combined with a lack of training. One can be very motivated, wanting to change the world of care and help our patients, but it is difficult when there are not enough staff and the hierarchy system does not work in our favor. Colleagues with decades of experience end up leaving and are not replaced, or are replaced by part-time staff. The team is therefore understaffed and the healthcare assistants do not have enough time to properly care for their patients. I calculated one day, I had 15 minutes per patient each day to do everything, which is not enough to support elderly people.
I had 15 minutes per patient each day to do everything
I was also confronted with a lack of flexibility in the face of change. Having to set up a project for each new idea hinders the implementation of actions that are beneficial for patients.
This situation no longer suited me and I experienced a loss of meaning, I had the feeling of being abusive with the patients, but I still felt this desire to help others and to continue my journey in the world of health. So I decided to go all out and embark on my own adventure.
How did you discover SafeTeam Academy and what inspired you to work with our educational engineers?
Through the implementation of the nominative cap, a simple and innovative tool. Which goes to show that even with a piece of tape and a marker, we can innovate and advance the safety of care! We implemented this tip during the health crisis within our unit. I then went to look at the available content from SafeTeam: videos, website, feedback on the Safety Database... What immediately excited me was that the solution is created by caregivers for caregivers, and that it allows the implementation of concrete changes for the improvement of the quality and safety of care.
Beyond the personalized cap, I was impressed by the format of the immersive video e-learning courses. I had the chance to test some of them, and I can tell you that the content is very immersive; you feel like you are projected into our daily life as a caregiver! The simulated care situations are as close to reality as possible to alert and sensitize learners, with meaningful feedback afterward.
Also, the module on benevolence with the interview with Alice Casagrande is a reference for me! I also use this interview in training institutes in Reims with caregivers. That's what SafeTeam is for me, human commitment that makes sense!
What human qualities and technical skills are needed to fulfill the role of HA in nursing homes?
The primary human quality is listening, to the resident, but also to colleagues. We cannot work, move forward, or create alone! And this quality is also accompanied by communication. Communicating with others is an art and it can be learned! Next, the ability to adapt, which is one of the goals we are working on. I would add the awareness of caregivers on adaptation in their support. Indeed, adapting during care means maintaining meaning in one's actions, missions, and role. I would also say, have a good sense of observation and pay attention to all those routine actions that can lead us to errors...
You can't work, move forward, or create alone!
I would end with the importance of attitude, positioning, this non-verbal communication but also the choice of words and this famous empathy. As soon as we talk about the staff of nursing homes, we imagine caregivers at the end of their rope, unfit caregivers, underqualified. All my training, I acquired it during my career in geriatrics. We cannot imagine the wealth of technical, human and relational skills of the professionals who work in nursing homes, as well as the imagination that is needed to allow our elders to have the best support. The most complex thing is to succeed in individualizing care in the collective. And of course, knowing how to question oneself, being open to change. In short: try, innovate, make mistakes, train and try again.
Finally, what is the mantra that accompanies you on a daily basis?
There is no such thing as chance, only appointments. Depending on the encounters, everything can change for the better or for the worse.
Thank you, Audrey!
To follow Audrey Wargnier, go to her LinkedIn profile.
