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A home total parenteral nutrition coordinator administers a needle to a patient
June 2, 2019

Introducing… a home total parenteral nutrition coordinator

Jane Plant is a registered nurse and a home total parenteral nutrition (TPN) coordinator for our digestive diseases clinic. She has been with Hamilton Health Sciences for 14 years but is fairly new to this role.

The home TPN program accepts a certain number of patients from across the region each year. It sets people up to live at home with intravenous (IV) feeding, which is also called total parenteral nutrition.

What does a home total parenteral nutrition coordinator do?

My fellow clinicians and I care for 25-30 home TPN patients per day who all live at home. These patients infuse total parenteral nutrition every night through a central line.

We help patients decide what central line will work best for them and teach them how to start and stop IV nutrition safely. I also work closely with the radiology department to have lines inserted in addition to constantly communicating with other care providers.

What keeps you motivated at work?

It’s really easy to stay motivated at work because the impact of what we do is so significant for the patients. We have an amazing team who are all very supportive and encouraging.

I have a young family. Moving to a position within a clinic has really helped me to find a work/home balance. There is a lot of flexibility and understanding, which is key for a positive work environment for me.

a home total parenteral nutrition coordinator stands in portrait

Who inspires you?

I’m a very family-oriented person; I find inspiration from them.

My dad is a hard-working farmer in addition to having a 40-hours-a-week job outside the farm. I’m inspired by his work ethic and problem-solving skills.

My daughters, Ellie and Rosie, inspire me to keep learning and growing. I strive to be the person they see through their eyes.

What made you enter your field of work?

Nursing to me is way more than a career choice. It really feels like being a nurse is a huge part of my personality.

I love interacting with and caring for patients while facilitating therapeutic relationships. Nursing was also appealing to me because there is such a wide and varied scope of what a nurse does and flexibility to take a different path.


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