Keeping an open mind and learning from each other, no matter what age you are, is essential in our profession. Rules are always changing, medical procedures are constantly evolving, and technology never stops advancing – but the ones who succeed are those who learn to adapt.

 

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working here, because you will never know absolutely everything,” admits Dianne Sessenwein, a nurse on 6C who has been working at the Montreal Children’s Hospital for over 35 years. “The key is to know who to go to for help.” Luckily, Dianne made that very clear to Annie Bakopoulos when she first started working on 6C as a nurse two years ago. “Dianne trained me for six weeks,” says Annie, (also known lovingly as ‘Annie Bananie’ by Dianne and patients). “And from the very beginning I felt like I could go to her for everything.” As a mother of five, Dianne loves to nurture and help the people around her – a big reason why the younger nurses tend to gravitate towards her. And, an even bigger reason why she still loves working at the bedside.Yet even with their difference in age and experience, it’s evident that both Annie and Dianne truly respect one another. Both women share a passion for their profession and have a gift for connecting well with families. “The beautiful thing about pediatrics is that we’re not only caring for a patient, we’re caring for an entire family unit,” says Annie. “There’s really no other profession like it!”