SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2005
		Magdalena Turlejski - JMSB, DIA/MBA CEI Host Organization - Victorian Order of Nurses CEI Funding partner - CIBC

I am very glad CEI is giving this excellent opportunity to business students. It’s a great cause. It allows me to spend my summer being part of the Victorian Order or Nurses in Ottawa, a century year old charity which provides home health services to a mostly senior population.

So far, I have been exposed to several aspects of this wonderful organization. I was given the opportunity to go “in the field” with one of the nurses, who cares for ill and terminal patients in their home. Out of the five patients that we visited that day, three of them were ill with cancer or were recovering. To say the least, it was a very rewarding and emotional experience to see the kind of medical and emotional support that these traveling nurses are giving.

Aside from this, I was given several mini-projects. One I recently finished was an analysis of incidents that are reported to the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB). There were several interesting findings, one of which was that back injuries in personal support workers are the most frequent and costly incidents. Now I’m onto my next project which involves organizational structure in the administration department. I’m presently meeting with the employees and hoping to discover any discrepancies which may be present between their job description and the actual function.

I am working closely with management which is exposing me to the everyday business activities and reminds me that even a non-profit organization must be market driven. Working towards a common goal is emphasized, which requires employees from all departments to take responsibility for the excellent healthcare that the nurses and other healthcare providers are giving. Anyways, I hope to meet some of the other students from CEI in the future, where we can share our experiences. Good luck with the rest of your internships and have a great summer.

Magdalena