It is tradition for our team to do a Ward Walk after the last day of surgery. We all wear Canada gear and hear updates about our patients and meet their families. Some patients like to talk to us and take pictures. It’s so lovely to hear we’ve taken pain away from patients and improved their quality of life. Lots of smiles and not a lot of dry eyes!

Then our floor nurses begin the transfer of care to local nurses and we begin the process of packing up.

Packing up is always an adventure! Separating what is staying in Cuenca, what is heading back to Calgary, who is taking what, checking expiration dates, counting and recording supplies. It’s a big job with a lot of moving parts! It’s always a little bittersweet to leave Santa Ines, especially with a few patients still on the unit. Physio works with them right up until the moment they leave and then passes the torch to local physio therapists and nurses. Dr Manuel will oversee all the patients left on the unit, and ensure they are all safely discharged home.
With packing pretty much complete, it is now time to say goodbye to our colleagues at the Santa Ines. TNMS provided a wonderful lunch to the staff as a heartfelt thank you for all they do for us every year, especially the OR staff that helps us turn over our rooms and sterilize instruments.

We leave grateful for our patients and each other. Thank you to everyone for all your support. We have felt it every day. Until next year