Learning at HHS
At Hamilton Health Sciences, we pride ourselves in providing highly collaborative learning environments for patients, families, staff and students.
Through active participation and contributions of ‘lived experience’, patients and families help us co-design programs, services and solutions that improve the quality of patient and family care.
Collaborative learning provides our staff with professional development opportunities that effectively improve team performance. Our students benefit from experiential learning opportunities that prepare them for the world of health care of today and tomorrow.
We are equally proud of our commitment to leading-edge technologies to support collaborative learning and innovative approaches to measuring value created for patients, families, staff and students.
Taken together, Hamilton Health Sciences understands collaborative learning is a critically important strategy to help us deliver “Best Care for All”.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Course
This is an advanced, video-based, certified, instructor-led course that builds on the foundation of basic life support (BLS) skills. It emphasizes the importance of continuous, high-quality CPR; high-performing team dynamics and communications; systems of care; recognition and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest; immediate post-cardiac arrest care; and acute dysrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes.
The use of simulation is incorporated to provide real-time feedback on CPR effectiveness. The course uses curriculum and vigorous practice guidelines from the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course
A foundational emergency cardiovascular course for all health professionals and first responders intended to help improve patient outcomes. BLS teaches both single-rescuer and team basic life support skills for application in pre-hospital and in-facility settings. Current BLS status is a pre-requisite for advanced and intermediary resuscitation courses. This course uses curriculum from the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and HHS offers BOTH the recertification and full BLS course.
Neurosurgical Outreach Series – Brain Day and Spine Day
This educational event involves simulation from real cases from the region, along with educational sessions to understand the effects of increased intracranial pressure with different types of brain pathology. For more information, please email NeuroOutreach@hhsc.ca.
Simulation & Outreach Program
The Simulation & Outreach program supports excellence in simulation-based education and research at McMaster Children’s Hospital and in the surrounding region. Learn more about the Simulation and Outreach program.
Centre for People Development
The Centre for People Development supports the growth and development of our people, both personally and professionally. The Centre provides learning experiences that will bring global ideas, best practices, and evidence to our world in health care so that we can enhance our skills, expand our perspectives and knowledge, and nurture our spirits and compassion
Students & Learners
Hamilton Health Sciences values and supports excellence and innovation in patient care, education and research. The Office of Student Affairs collaborates with our academic and community partners to offer a myriad of both clinical and non-clinical learning opportunities. We endeavor to provide our learners in health professions, research, high school co-op and other programs, with the best possible experience across our multi-site organization.
Learn about our various learning opportunities and how to apply, below. Are you interested in a…
Job shadow to explore a hospital career
This is an observational experiential education opportunity to assist individuals to make better informed decision about potential career choices. The length of this opportunity can vary between 1-3 days and will be determined by the Office of Student Affairs in collaboration with the hosting unit.
Career Exploration / Job Shadowing is strictly observational with no “hands on” and/or no “direct patient care” activities. As an observer, you must be partnered with a staff member at all times.
Requests to observe or shadow physicians will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Placement or practicum as part of your academic curriculum
An experiential education opportunity is required if it is part of an academic course of study.
If your placement is not related to a school program requirement, please contact studentaffairs@hhsc.ca to further discuss your request.
High School Co-Op Placement
High school students interested in unpaid co-op placements at HHS should contact their school co-op teacher directly. These placements are organized at the school board level in collaboration with HHS.
Volunteer Opportunity
If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the Volunteering page.
Dietetic Internship Program
Hamilton Health Sciences has entered into a collaboration agreement with the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Brescia University College regarding dietetic practicum. Both organizations are committed to ensuring that the dietetic practicums at HHSC are preserved and integrated into the post-undergraduate academic programs at Brescia.
If you are interested in applying for dietetic training at Hamilton Health Sciences, we invite you to apply to Brescia’s Diploma in Dietetic Education & Practical Training Program by January 18, 2019.
Application available at: http://brescia.uwo.ca/academics/certificate-and-diploma-programs/diploma-foods-nutrition/
For Hamilton Health Sciences:
- Choose Hamilton/Niagara in your geographic location choices
- Indicate your preference for Hamilton Health Sciences in your cover letter
Medical Learner Placement
Electives for undergraduate medical students and residents are coordinated by McMaster University.
For more information about undergraduate medical electives, please view the website for the Undergrad MD Electives Office at McMaster University.
For more information for resident electives, please view the website for the Postgraduate Medical Education Office at McMaster University.
For information about credentialing, contact Medical Affairs.
Note: Hamilton Health Sciences does not accommodate observerships for undergraduate medical students.
Psychology Predoctoral Residency Program Placement
HHS offers a Predoctoral Psychology Residency Program accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). In this program, Residents are exposed to a range of patient populations and intervention approaches through their participation on interdisciplinary teams. This breadth and depth is an attractive attribute of the Predoctoral Residency Programs at Hamilton Health Sciences.
Read more information about the predoctoral residency program
Pre-doctoral residency program in clinical neuropsychology brochure
Pre-doctoral residency in clinical child psychology brochure
GTA Psychology Practicum
Child & Adolescent placement brochure 2020-2021: Practicum Training in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology
Only adult placement offered in 2020-2021: Psychosocial Oncology Program
Awards, Applause, and Accolades
Regional Rehabilitation Centre (RRC) Physiotherapy Team selected to receive the “Contributions to the School” award from McMaster School of Rehabilitation Science.
The team at RRC have been dedicated to excellence in clinical supervision and have been a reliable source of providing placement opportunities for our students in every placement period, across all cohorts. In consideration of the global pandemic, a time of increased pressure and stress, this team has continued to demonstrate unwavering support of McMaster PT learners. They have demonstrated creativity and initiative in encouraging and working with team members to take on the role of clinical instructor in order to continue providing excellent and ample opportunities.
HHS Staff
Hamilton Health Sciences offers a number of resources for staff, including orientations, workshops, and staff libraries.
Learn more about these resources below.
Orientations
Hamilton Health Sciences is committed to engage, empower and enable our people to deliver on our mission. Orientation welcomes all new staff and introduces the values and culture of the organization, who we are and where we are going. This is coordinated through an orientation pathway, complemented with program, service and area specific orientation. Role specific along with interprofessional orientation experiences, strengthen contributions to the broader teamwork and interprofessional practice that is required to deliver on our mission.
Workshops
Hamilton Health Sciences supports our care teams with the following workshop opportunities. Health professional colleagues with other organizations are welcome to contact us to learn more about attending our workshops.
Staff Library
The staff libraries at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) provide access to quality health information for hospital staff, associated physicians and residents, and learners.
Library staff are available to assist users in finding evidence based information to support patient care by:
- Conducting literature searches
- Retrieving books and research articles
- Providing individual or group teaching sessions on effective searching
All electronic resources, including books, journals and databases, can be found on the HHS Intranet through the library portal called the Clinical Reference Library. Print collections and study space can also be found at the Hamilton General Hospital, Juravinski Hospital, McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC), and St. Peter’s Hospital sites.
Contact Information
- Hamilton General Hospital library: libraryg@hhsc.ca
- Juravinski Hospital library: libraryjh@hhsc.ca
- MUMC library: librarymumc@hhsc.ca
- St. Peter’s Hospital library: librarySPH@hhsc.ca