A resident of the Canwood area, it takes Wreford more than an hour to drive out to Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital for treatment three days a week.

The treatment itself takes more than four hours, during which the dialysis machine is charged with filtering her blood -- filling the role her kidneys previously played.

“It’s a part-time job three days per week, but with that I get my health,” Wreford summarized. “If I didn’t have dialysis I wouldn’t be alive.”

While being pricked with a needle and having one’s blood drained out and filtered doesn’t sound like a fun way of spending an afternoon, Wreford credits the Renal Dialysis Unit’s nursing staff with lessening her stress.

As a retired nurse herself, Wreford credits the health-care providers with not only knowing their stuff, but with harbouring some of the best bedside manner she’s seen.

“They’re pretty awesome,” she said. “They know their job, and they appreciate where I’m coming from and they do everything they can to make it a good experience.

“They just make you feel like you’re the most important person … I can honestly say I don’t have anyone I prefer to look after me, or anybody to dread looking after me, and that’s really good when you think about it.”

At the Prince Albert Parkland Health Authority’s latest board meeting, it was revealed that a strong majority of dialysis patients mirror Wreford’s positivity.

The survey saw 24 of the Renal Dialysis Unit’s 49 regular patients polled about the quality of their care.

All 24 respondents answered “Yes” to the question, “Do you believe that you receive safe and competent care?”

As for the question, “Do you feel that the staff listened and respected you as a partner in your care?” 23 answered, “Yes” and one answered, “I don’t know.”

Nursing unit manager Shawn Phaneuf credits these high scores solely on a nursing staff he calls the best group he’s worked with in his 20-year career.

“They definitely care about what they do, and they’re partners in care with their patients,” he said.

“You spend so much time with them they become like family,” he said. “We’ve had staff invited to patients’ children’s graduations, weddings, we get invited to special events with them.”

Dialysis by the numbers

49 -- Dialysis patients at Victoria Hospital

3.5 to 4.5-- The number of hours per treatment

3-- The most common number of treatments per week

12 -- Dialysis machines that run at Victoria Hospital

2 -- People currently on Victoria Hospital’s waiting list for dialysis

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