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Learning at Southlake

Learning at Southlake

As a teaching and research facility, Southlake understands the importance of training the brightest and the best. We are committed to providing educational opportunities that support the development of future professionals who work in the healthcare setting. We are proud to be affiliated with our local high schools, colleges and universities from across the country.

Post-Secondary Students Seeking Opportunities

At Southlake, we are committed to nurturing the future of healthcare – our students. As preceptors, teachers and mentors we commit to providing an interprofessional environment to help learners gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes to advance learning in professional and collaborative care.

Feedback from students consistently indicates that Southlake provides a nurturing environment in which to learn and grow professionally. Many students who learn here eventually choose to work here. Supporting student placements is a win-win arrangement for us.

Please select from one of the categories in the menu below to find out more about our student placements for a variety of disciplines.

Please submit an online application for allied health students if you wish to request placement at Southlake. Note: you cannot attach your resume to the application. If you wish to submit your resume as well, please email it directly to SCKing@southlake.ca.

Students studying a variety of health care professionals can come to Southlake for training. These include:

  • Cardiovascular Technologist
  • Child and Youth Worker
  • Communication Disorders Assistant
  • Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
  • Dietitian
  • Exercise Therapist
  • Kinesiologist
  • Medical Laboratory Technician
  • Medical Laboratory Technologist
  • Medical Radiation Technologist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Pharmacist
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Physiotherapist
  • Physiotherapy Assistant
  • Recreation Therapist
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • Social Worker (MSW)
  • Speech-language Pathologist
  • Spiritual Care Provider
For information about Medical Learner Placements (MD Students, Clinical Clerks, Residents, Fellows), which require a physician preceptor please contact:

Amanda Holmes
Medical Administration
a2holmes@southlake.ca
Telephone: 905-895-4521 ext. 2974

To request a nursing-supported midwifery placement, please have your school’s placement coordinator submit a request for placement via the Health Sciences Placement Network.  If your school does not subscribe to HSPnet, please have your placement coordinator contact Sue King at SCKing@southlake.ca.

To request a physician-supported midwifery placement, please have your school’s placement coordinator submit a request for placement via the Health Sciences Placement Network. If the school does not subscribe to HSPnet, please have your placement coordinator contact Amanda Holmes in the Medical Staff Office at a2holmes@southlake.ca.
Please submit an online Student Placement Application for Non-Clinical Students if you wish to request a placement at Southlake. Note: you cannot attach your resume to the online application. If you wish to submit your resume, or if you have any questions, please email Professional Practice at SCKing@southlake.ca.

A variety of student placement opportunities exist at Southlake beyond our clinical areas. We are open to considering requests for experiential learning opportunities in most areas of our hospital. Examples of these placements include the following:

  • Biomedical Engineering Technician
  • Electrical Engineering Technician
  • Event and Venue Management
  • Health Information Management
  • Medical Office Assistant
  • Public Relations
  • Sterile Supply Program
If you wish to request a placement at Southlake, please submit an online Student Placement Application for NPs, Masters of Nursing and PhD Students. Note: you cannot attach your resume to the online application. If you wish to submit your resume, or if you have any questions, please email Professional Practice at SCKing@southlake.ca.

Nursing students from colleges and universities across the province receive practical training at Southlake. Students are placed in groups and in one-on-one preceptor based placements. The most common nursing placements are:

  • Groups of students are placed with a school clinical leader or faculty to spend 1-2 shifts per week/per term.
  • Individual students are provided clinical placements partnered with a nurse or allied health preceptor for placements.
  • Nurses pursuing clinical experience to achieve an undergraduate, graduate degree, or specialty certificate.

Nursing Students:

To request a placement, please have your school’s nursing placement coordinator submit a request for placement via the Health Sciences Placement Network. If your school does not subscribe to HSPnet, please have your placement coordinator contact Professional Practice at SCKing@southlake.ca.

Southlake does not accept applications from nursing students directly.

Continuing Education Nursing Students:

Please submit an online student placement application if you wish to request a placement at Southlake. Note: you cannot attach your resume to the online application. If you wish to submit your resume, or if you have any questions, please email Professional Practice at SCKing@southlake.ca.
To request a paramedical student placement, please have your school’s placement coordinator submit a request for placement via the Health Sciences Placement Network.  If your school does not subscribe to HSPnet, please have your placement coordinator contact Professional Practice at SCKing@southlake.ca.

Contacts

Dial 905-895-4521 and then the appropriate extension:

  • Medical Staff Office (medical learners): ext. 2974
  • Professional Practice (all other students): ext. 2872

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High School Students

A ‘co-op(erative) student’ is a high school student who has completed the application and interview process and been accepted for an unpaid co-op student position at Southlake. All co-op student placements are processed through Volunteer Resources in collaboration with the high school co-op department.

To apply to be a co-op student at Southlake, please contact your high school’s co-op department which can provide you with more information.

Welcome to Southlake Health!

We are looking forward to having you join the Southlake team as a learner. This section will provide you with information regarding your placement here.

Note for Allied Health, Non-Clinical and Nursing Continuing Education students:
Please ensure you complete an online application as part of the placement process. Even if your placement has already been confirmed, please ensure you visit the post-secondary placements page and submit the appropriate online application.

Please bring the following to Southlake’s Student Welcome Centre in Professional Practice:

Professional Practice is located on the 5th floor (south corridor) of the Southlake Village (please click here to view a map).
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
To get to the Southlake Village, from the hospital exit through the revolving door in the East Lobby of the hospital; turn right, follow the sidewalk to Southlake Village where you will see a sign for the AGING WELL CLINIC across the courtyard at a set of double glass doors. Enter through these doors and take the elevator to the 5th floor, South Corridor.
Once all paperwork is received, Professional Practice will issue you an ID badge/safety pendant and access to scrubs if required.
The deposit and fee for ID badge with safety pendant is $50, or $100 including scrubs* (if required). This includes a non-refundable administrative fee of $27. Your deposit minus the administrative fee will be refunded at the completion of your placement upon return of these items.

Note: you must return BOTH the ID badge and the safety pendant, and scrubs if used, within one month of your placement end date to receive your refund. If your placement completion date is changed, please notify Professional Practice.

*Refer to the Scrubs List to see if surgical scrubs are required for your placement. If you are unsure about whether or not you require surgical scrubs for your placement, please select “Scrubs & Badge” for your deposit. If surgical scrubs are not required for your placement, the scrub portion of the deposit can be refunded.

Please read the information below before you pay online as you will need it to successfully complete the transaction:

You will have the option to pay by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

  • Type in Badge or Scrubs and Badge in the “Account” field
  • Under “Invoice Date,” enter today’s date
  • Under “Patient Name,” type in your name
  • Under “Contact Name” enter your school name
  • Under “Contact Phone Number,” enter your phone number
  • Under “Amount,” type in $50 for an ID Badge or $100 if you also require scrubs.
Ensure you PRINT THE RECEIPT and bring it with you on registration day in order to receive the items. If you are unable to pay in advance, please email scking@southlake.ca to discuss payment options.

Students requiring parking can enroll in IPASS with their ID badge number and license plate number in the Parking Office.

In addition, there are a number of public parking lots near the hospital that you are welcome to use (615 Davis Drive and 465 Davis Drive). Transit options include York Region Transit and GO.

Visit Southlake’s parking page for further details.

You may be required to attend an orientation session. Please refer to your student placement “Getting Started” letter which is found in HSPnet (Nursing) or your introductory email (Allied Health/Non Clinical).

Important Instructions:

  • Signing of the Student Agreement (select the one applicable to your site) is verification that faculty and students have reviewed the student orientation manual and online core curriculum (completion of review is mandatory prior to commencing placement at Southlake):
  • Nursing students – are required to attend computer training provided by Clinical Informatics (please email computertraining@southlake.ca as per instructions in your student “Getting Started” letter).
  • Allied Health and non-clinical students – your clinical instructor/preceptor will arrange a computer login for you. If you do not have your computer login instructions and passwords by the time you arrive at Southlake, you must contact the ICT Service Desk at (905) 895-4521 x 2246, ext. 1 to obtain. You will receive individualized computer training from your clinical instructor/preceptor as required.

Contacts

Dial 905-895-4521 and then the appropriate extension:

  • Medical Staff Office (medical learners): ext. 2974
  • Research Office (research students): ext. 2763
  • Susan King, Professional Practice (all other students): ext. 2872

Family Medicine Teaching Unit

Established in 2009 in partnership with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, Southlake Health’s Family Medicine Teaching Unit enrolls nine family medicine physician trainees (seven Canadian and two international medicine graduates) every year for a two-year program.

These residents spend three half-days every week working alongside family physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and other healthcare professionals in the Southlake Academic Family Health Team. Each resident has a mini-practice, providing ongoing care for approximately 150 patients each, under the direct supervision of the staff physicians. In an underserviced community, this provides care to patients who might not otherwise have a family physician.

The Family Medicine Teaching Unit has 11 teachers providing training for the residents, who are family physicians that also have their own practices at the Southlake Academic Family Health Team.

During their two year training, the residents also spend one to two months at a time working alongside Southlake physicians and staff in hospital departments including emergency medicine, internal medicine, mental health, musculoskeletal diseases, obstetrics, paediatrics, palliative medicine and surgery, and complex medical rehabilitation.  Learning of these specialty competencies is a requirement in order to practice comprehensive Family Medicine.

Since the inception of the program, Southlake and The University of Toronto have recognized residents and teaching physicians for several Achievement Awards in academics, teaching, and leadership.

Please click here for more information on the University of Toronto’s Family Medicine Residency Program at Southlake.

Click here for more information on the Southlake Academic Family Health Team.

ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) courses at Southlake

The Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course is designed to teach the skills needed to assess and administer care within the first 10 minutes of an adult cardiac arrest.

Southlake is proud to offer ACLS and BLS in accordance with Heart and Stroke Foundation. All courses are overseen by ACLS and BLS instructors accredited by the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Providers learn the skills needed to manage advanced cardiac life support scenarios: respiratory emergency, various types of cardiac arrest (simple VT/VF, complex VT/VF, PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity) and asystole), pre-arrest emergencies: stable and unstable bradycardia and tachycardia, acute coronary syndromes and stroke.

Courses are run in accordance with the most recent iteration of the Canadian Resuscitation and First Aid Guidelines. This reflects current best practice and is in conjunction with the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) as a member of the International Liason Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).

  • January 20, 21, 9 a.m. – (BLS renewal included if needed)
  • January 27, 28, 9 a.m. – (BLS renewal included if needed)
  • February 10, 11, 9 a.m. – (BLS renewal included if needed)
  • March 2, 3, 9 a.m. – (BLS renewal included if needed)

Please click here to sign up for either of these courses.

Where are the courses held?
All courses are held at the Southlake Simulation Centre
Located on the 5th floor of the Southlake Village (640 Grace St, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8V7)
How long are the courses?
ACLS full course: 14hrs (over 2 days)
ACLS recertification: 7hrs (over 1 day)
BLS renewal: 2hrs
 
Do I need to be a Southlake Hospital Employee or a healthcare professional working at Southlake to register for the course?     
Not necessarily. However, wherever possible preference will be provided to ensure availability for Southlake hospital employees and healthcare providers who are affiliated with Southlake.       
 
Do I need BLS in order to take ACLS?
Yes. The Heart and Stroke mandates that a valid BLS certificate must be in place in order to take an ACLS course.
If you do not have a valid BLS certificate (or if it has expired) we can offer BLS renewal at the time of your ACLS course.
How do I sign up for the course?
In order to register for the course you are interested in you must log onto the Heart and Stroke Resuscitation Portal and create an account (cpr.heartandstroke.ca)
Once you have created an account you can search for the course using the “Find a Course” tab. You can search for the course you are interested in by looking it up by date or “course code”.
How much does the course cost?
ACLS full course: $250
ACLS Recert: $200
BLS: $50

There is a $50 discount that can be applied for Southlake employees (RN, RPN, RT, all other allied health professionals interested in the course)

Is there a way I can have a more tailored ACLS educational experience that is more relevant to my area of clinical practice?
Yes. Please see the section below on “Private or Departmental group courses”
Private or Departmental group courses:
Do you have a busy schedule and need us to accommodate to your availability?
Do multiple people in your department need ACLS or BLS (or renewal)?
Would you like a course that is only for specific groups (e.g. nursing only, physician only, subspecialty clinical practice only)?
Would you prefer to do ACLS and BLS with a group of colleagues in the same specialty/subspecialty area such that it is better tailored to your needs?
We can arrange a private course for your group. Email acls@southlake.ca
Cost: $250 for ACLS + $50 if BLS is required
Minimum number of students required for private course is 4.

Interprofessional Collaboration

Southlake is committed to creating an environment where the best experiences happen. Interprofessional care is needed to create the conditions required to support great experiences for patients, staff, volunteers and learners.

Interprofessional care is “the provision of comprehensive health services to patients by multiple health givers, who work collaboratively to deliver quality care within and across settings.” [A Blue Print for Action in Ontario 2020]

The advantages of interprofessional care include:

  • Greater focus on patient/family-centred care
  • Improved patient safety and quality
  • Improved patient and staff satisfaction
  • Ability to provide a better range of health services
  • Reduced staff burnout
  • Better use of resources

Interprofessional Education

Interprofessional education (IPE) occurs when learners from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve outcomes. [World Health Organization, 2010]

At Southlake, there are many opportunities for interprofessional learning to occur, both formal and informal. Students and other types of learners who receive training at Southlake are encouraged to seek, ask, observe and reflect how team members come together to provide the best care possible to patients with skills like communication, collaboration, problem-solving and shared decision-making.

We believe creating a culture of interprofessional care is imperative to achieving Leading Edge Care. By Your Side.

 

Launched in the summer of 2011, the student Role Observation Experience (ROE) initiative was created to:

  • give learners an opportunity to better understand the roles of different healthcare providers in a variety of practice settings.
  • assist in creating an understanding of the elements needed to create and enable interprofessional care.

“It is important to recognize that in healthcare it is the combined effort of all members that really impacts the care that a client can receive. “I think that the ROE program is extremely important as it promotes  a greater respect and understanding for the unique roles that exist within the healthcare setting and how they fit together. I would encourage all students to take part in this program.”
– York University student

“I think that the ROE is extremely important as it promotes interprofessional collaboration, and a greater respect for the unique roles that exist within the healthcare setting. I would encourage all students to take part in this program and I would once again like to thank-you for helping make this experience possible.”
– Georgian College student

If you are interested in participating in an ROE please discuss the opportunity with your preceptor or clinical instructor.

After receiving permission from your preceptor/faculty leader to engage in a ROE, please contact the Observation Lead from your area of observation interest to arrange a date and time for the ROE. Click here to see the list of leads and their contact information.

Once you have the observation date arranged, please register online for an ROE debrief session. The debrief sessions are a great opportunity for our learners to share their experience of the ROE with each other. We have found that this is actually the most beneficial aspect of the ROE. The reflective assignments are discussed during the debrief sessions.

If you have any questions about this initiative or about Interprofessional Care at Southlake, please contact Lorna Bain (ext. 2274 or lbain@southlakeregional.org) and Sandra Parsons (ext. 2435 or sparsons@southlakeregional.org).

What is a ROE?

The ROE is a formal opportunity for learners to:

  • learn about the roles of others on healthcare teams.
  • recognize how stereotypes can impact patient care.
  • apply learnings about interprofessional care.

Who is eligible to participate in the ROE?

Learners are eligible to participate in the ROE if they:

  • have a clinical placement at Southlake for 3 weeks or greater, and,
  • have the approval of a preceptor or clinical instructor.

What does the ROE consist of?
There are 3 parts to the ROE:

  • A role observation
  • A short reflective assignment
  • A Debrief Session (a small group discussion with other learners to talk about the observation, the reflective assignment and interprofessional collaboration).
  • The reflective assignment provides an opportunity to consider and appreciate what was observed. It is not handed in; rather it is meant to promote reflection and discussion to challenge thoughts on stereotypes and misconceptions which are often seen on healthcare teams on the roles of others.

How do I arrange for and get the most out of my ROE?

  • Email the ROE contact person to arrange an ROE.
  • Sign up for a Debrief Session when you confirm your ROE date.
  • Find out the length of the observation opportunity, who is leading it and where to meet.
  • Any special instructions, e.g. clothing.
  • Review the reflective assignment prior to your observation.
  • Consider reading up on the role you are to observe in order to understand the role and the training required, environments in which they work and what they do.
  • Make sure to mark the date in your calendar so you don’t forget.
  • Be on time for your observation and get directions to where you must go.
  • Be respectful and courteous to the fact that patient treatment is occurring.
  • Be sure to complete your assignment and bring it to the debrief session.
  • Don’t forget to share your ROE with your preceptor, the rest of the clinical team and your fellow students.
  • Have fun!

Southlake is committed to creating an environment where the best experiences happen. At Southlake, there are many formal and informal ways to learn about interprofessional care.

Interprofessional team interactions happen all the time in clinical team settings. Creating an awareness of interprofessional elements such as effective communication, shared decision-making, respect, trust and collaborative leadership is important in order to create safe, high quality patient care opportunities. Self reflection is a great tool to help us appreciate what we’ve observed in a clinical interaction. It is important  to pause and consider how these elements are being expressed in teams. Are they being optimized to create and sustain excellent practices? Is there opportunity to consider team growth?

In clinical placements, there is opportunity for both professional and interprofessional skill development. Both should be leveraged to assist students in maximizing their learning capacity. Interprofessional interactions can be defined as the involvement of two or more team members in different roles, and at Southlake there are many opportunities for students to observe and participate in interprofessional activity. We encourage learners to take advantage of situations and activities where they can observe excellence in interprofessional care. Examples of these types of opportunities may include, but are not limited to:

  • day to day client care/family interactions
  • family meetings
  • interprofessional bedside rounds
  • bullet rounds
  • huddles
  • team quality initiatives
  • team/clinical service team meetings
  • team educational sessions
  • hospital interprofessional rounds
  • special programs eg. Low Back Pain Module, Osteoporosis Module

We hope you will take advantage of interprofessional learning opportunities to make the most of your placement at Southlake.

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