Rest Easy_ How Flexible Nursing Supports Families at PICN

Who is Partners In Community Nursing (PICN) and who do you serve?

TL;DR: Partners In Community Nursing (PICN) is a community nursing and home care organization serving families across Durham Region since 1998, delivering visiting nurse services in homes, schools, retirement communities, and other community settings. PICN provides community-based nursing through its Visiting Nursing Program and related employment programs; the organization delivers services such as pediatric nursing, wound care, IV therapy, palliative care, and gerontological nursing and serves stakeholders including families, pediatric clients (birth to 21), older adults, and surgical or palliative clients across Durham Region including Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, and Ajax.

What flexible nursing services does PICN provide (for example wound care, IV therapy, or palliative support)?

TL;DR: PICN provides a range of community and home care services—including wound care, Intravenous (IV) Therapy, palliative care, pediatric nursing, ostomy care, and shift nursing—delivered by visiting nurses in-home and in other community settings. The PICN nursing team delivers these services as part of its Service_CommunityNursing and Service_HomeCare offerings: Service_WoundCare, Service_IVTherapy (home infusion and central venous line management), Service_PalliativeCare (home-based palliative visiting nurses), Service_PediatricNursing (including enteral feeding and tracheostomy care), and Service_OstomyCare. Many of these services are described on PICN’s service list and can be requested via the online Service Request Form or by contacting PICN’s toll-free number.

Do you provide services in my area—are your nurses available in Durham Region, Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, or Ajax?

TL;DR: Yes. PICN serves families across Durham Region—explicitly including Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, and Ajax—and delivers care in homes, schools, retirement communities, and broader community settings. The knowledge graph and the article both state that PICN provides community nursing across Durham Region and lists City_Oshawa, City_Pickering, City_Whitby, and City_Ajax as served locations. Services like Visiting Nurse Program visits, Service_PalliativeCare, Service_IVTherapy, and Service_FootCare are provided in Setting_Home and Setting_RetirementCommunity and are designed to meet accessibility principles per PICN’s AODA Plan.

How does flexible scheduling work and how does it benefit families?

TL;DR: PICN’s model supports flexible nurse schedules (including Shift Nursing and part-time roles) so nurses can build sustainable routines; that flexibility creates consistent, reliable care for families and restores predictable routines at home. The landing page emphasizes Value_Flexibility and explains that when Role_NursingTeam members and Role_ShiftNurses can set schedules that fit their lives, families receive consistent visits from familiar visiting nurses. This is operationalized through PICN’s Visiting Nursing Program and Program_ShiftNursingProgram, which let nurses deliver Service_PediatricNursing, Service_WoundCare, and other services on schedules that match family needs—overnight, school hours, or after work. Principle_StaffWellbeing and Value_ProfessionalDevelopment are cited as organizational priorities that support this approach.

How do I request PICN services or get started with care?

TL;DR: To start care with PICN, you can use the online Service Request Form maintained by PICN or call the listed PICN contact numbers (including the toll-free 1-800.564.9534) to request services like wound care, IV therapy, pediatric nursing, or palliative support. PICN maintains a Channel_ServiceRequestForm linked from service pages and the blog, and lists Contact_TollFreePICN and the main phone 905.665.1711 in the footer. The Service Request Form provides an access path for Service_PalliativeCare, Service_OncologyNursing, Service_FootCare, and other services; where appropriate, PICN also works with Org_OntarioHealthAtHome for referrals or funding coordination for palliative and home-based services.

What qualifications and safety measures do PICN nurses have for palliative and specialized care?

TL;DR: PICN’s visiting nurses include clinicians with specialized training and supports—CAPCE training for palliative care and NSWOCC support for ostomy/wound care—and PICN follows safety protocols such as its Emergency Protocol and community partnerships for coordinated care. The knowledge graph shows Program_CAPCE enhances the competency of Role_VisitingNurses for Service_PalliativeCare, and Org_NSWOCC supports Service_OstomyCare and wound care practices. PICN maintains an emergency Policy_EmergencyProtocol advising clients to call Contact_Emergency911 in urgent situations and to use the main contact number for non-emergencies. Principle_EvidenceBasedPractice and Principle_CommunityPartnerships guide oncology and palliative services, while AODA commitments and published Program_AODAPlan address accessibility for people with disabilities.

Is PICN suitable for children with complex needs—what pediatric nursing skills do your nurses provide?

TL;DR: Yes. PICN offers Service_PediatricNursing for clients birth to 21 that includes specialized clinical skills such as enteral feeding, tracheostomy and ventilator care, central venous line management, home infusion therapy, and wound and cardiac care, delivered by visiting and school program nurses. The knowledge graph lists Skill_EnteralFeeding, Skill_TracheostomyVentilatorCare, Skill_CentralVenousLineManagement, Skill_HomeInfusionTherapy, and Skill_WoundAndCardiacCare as required skills for Service_PediatricNursing. Role_SchoolNurses deliver pediatric services in Setting_School, Role_VisitingNurses deliver care in Setting_Home, and PICN serves Stakeholder_PediatricClientsBirthTo21 with family-centred communication and flexible scheduling described on the landing page.

Does PICN offer home-based palliative care and how is it coordinated with hospitals or Ontario Health at Home?

TL;DR: PICN offers Service_PalliativeCare delivered by visiting nurses in the home and coordinates with hospitals and Org_OntarioHealthAtHome for transitions and potential funding or referrals. Service_PalliativeCare is explicitly delivered in Setting_Home and coordinated with Setting_Hospital per the knowledge graph; Program_CAPCE supports visiting nurses’ palliative competencies. Org_OntarioHealthAtHome can fund or coordinate access to PICN palliative services and offers a contact point (Contact_OHatHPhone). The landing page and the graph emphasize family-centred communication, pain and symptom management, crisis prevention, and 24-hour emergency protocols as part of PICN’s palliative approach.