A Career of Compassion: Meet Joanne Elks, RN and Behavioural Support Specialist

We’re back with another team spotlight moment and excited for you to meet Joanne Elks, Behavioural Support and Registered Nurse (RN). Joanne proudly boasts that she has the best job in the building. We sat down with her to learn more about her role here at Sherwood Park Manor.

What inspired you to be a nurse, and how did you find your way to Sherwood Park Manor’s behavioural support team?

Joanne shared that she always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but when she returned to the area to be closer to family, she found herself in her first long-term care role in our neighbouring community of Prescott. 

“I had never worked with an older population, so I had no idea what it would be like, but I ended up loving it,” she shared. Joanne expressed her love for always learning, which ultimately led her to become an RN and start her career at the Brockville General Hospital. 

“I worked in a number of departments, on various floors throughout the years. I worked on the medical surgical floor, the maternity wing, orthopedic and palliative care teams, to name a few. I loved the palliative floor,” she added. 

In 2013, when Brockville General Hospital opened the mental health wing, Joanne shifted again. “I worked on the mental health floor for about seven years and ended my career there working on the crisis team,” Joanne explained. Despite retiring from that role, Joanne couldn’t help but carry on her pursuit of learning and journey in caring for others. 

“I decided to work as an RN here at the Manor in a casual position, and when the behavioural support position came up, I applied!” Joanne attributes her years of experience working in mental health and with people in crisis as the foundation for the skill, patience and insight she brings to this role.

Can you describe a typical day at the Manor in your role?

Joanne typically starts her day with a walk around the building to visit with as many residents as she can. 

“It’s the best part of the day because I can really get to know the residents in a more meaningful way.” Joanne went on to share that while she does have a case load of clients who may have more challenging behaviour, she makes a point of getting to know all the residents.

“Because residents, caseloads, and behaviours in our home change constantly, the focus of my time is fluid. I might spend a lot of time with one resident initially, but that attention will shift as needs evolve,” Joanne shared that she works closely with the Mobile Response Team (MRT) and the Geriatric Psychiatrist. “Once a month, I join both our psychiatrist and her nurse to make rounds in the building, which is something I enjoy.” Joanne shared that she also attends regular monthly behavioural meetings to discuss and plan for residents and their care and action plans. She emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting the significant value in including personal support workers and other direct care staff in behavioural meetings.

What are the most common resident behaviours you support, and what specific support do you provide?

“When you’re in a long-term care home, loneliness is often an emotion we need to manage, even with family close by and visiting often. It’s a difficult transition to make.”

Joanne went on to explain that she works very closely with Chris, our Family and Resident Support Manager, and will often connect with new admissions or shortly after. Joanne shared, “it’s not a requirement of my role, but something I do because I enjoy having that initial meeting and getting a head start in making that connection as residents enter the building.”

Joanne discussed the importance of getting to know residents’ likes and dislikes and incorporating them into the plans of care as a way to continue a sense of normalcy, and to find ways to connect with people socially, emotionally and spiritually. Joanne explained that the reality of working in a long-term care home is that there can also be aggressive or challenging behaviours to manage. 

“The best approach is to try to make a connection and see what distraction techniques or conversations we can leverage to steer those emotions. Observation and a willingness to change direction is important, and sometimes leaving and reapproaching later is necessary.” 

What do you find most rewarding about your work with residents?

“I just like everything”, Joanne said with a big smile. “I love seeing the improvement, I love seeing a resident smile.” 

“We had a resident who was pretty quiet and downcast. I kept working on building a connection with him, sitting with him and talking, and one day he looked at me, gave me a kiss and said he loved me.” Joanne expressed how meaningful these little moments can be in the day-to-day. 

“I had another resident who had a lot of complex behaviours, but every week she looked forward to having a coffee and playing crib with me.”

What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in this role?

Joanne shared that you simply can’t fix every single behaviour and you have to accept that. 

“There are some personalities that you just can’t change, and when you think about it, you don’t really want to.” Despite the challenging behaviours Joanne deals with, she finds the joy – big or small – in every resident interaction, their personality and their challenges. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in nursing or in behavioural health?

Joanne’s answer was simple: “Compassion, you have to be compassionate to work in this setting. You can do anything as long as you show and have compassion for the people you work with.”

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing that helps you recharge and be your best self for residents?

Joanne shared she enjoys spending time with her husband and her sons. “I also walk a lot; it’s kind of the running joke around here how much I love to walk,” Joanne laughed. “And, I love going to Toronto with my family. I’m a BIG Toronto fan, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, you name it!”