photo of Mallory Drost, Advanced Practice Nurse, Geriatrics

For two years, Mallory Drost has worked at Bridgepoint as an advanced practice nurse specializing in geriatric care.  Inpatient teams across the hospital look to her for expertise providing care for older adult patients with complex health needs.

When Mallory started university, her plan was to be a physics teacher. After her first year, she decided that path wasn’t for her and switched to nursing. “I liked the idea of caring for people,” she says.

In nursing school Mallory learned the necessary technical skills, but one of the most important lessons was about the interpersonal side of nursing. “My professors and clinical teachers were influential in teaching us the importance of getting to know our patients as people, spending the time to listen to them and being kind.”

Mallory found she particularly liked using these skills in providing care for older adults. “I thought I would specialize in intensive care or medical cardiology. But I found that I loved working with geriatric patients. They have life experience and interesting perspectives. I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing their stories.”

Mallory says one important issue in geriatric care is that many people, including health care providers, can have unconscious biases or make assumptions about older adults. “It’s important not to define anyone by their age or their diagnosis and to remember that our older adult patients have goals, hopes, and dreams for their lives and people who love them.”

When Mallory consults on a case she does a full assessment and helps the care team create a plan to support the patient’s individual needs. Older adult patients can be at greater risk of falls, delirium and sleep disturbances. Patients who have cognitive impairment may also have behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. “I’m able to go in-depth and learn about the patient’s background, what they were like before they were in the hospital. A critical part of the care plan is helping patients establish a familiar routine so that they feel safe and cared for when they’re at their most vulnerable.”

For Mallory, one of the best parts of her role is seeing the impact of collaboration with her colleagues. “I like that I’m able to follow up with each patient, see them improve and get stronger or see delirium resolve. They get back to their usual selves and work towards achieving their goals.”

Mallory also enjoys being able to share her knowledge with colleagues, to build greater capacity for geriatric care across the hospital. “I try to constantly reflect on what patients and my colleagues need and how I can best serve them,” she adds.

With the challenges of an aging population and increasing numbers of patients with complex health needs affecting the health care system and hospitals across the province and the country, Mallory’s expertise is a vital resource.