Bach, Vicky

Vicky (Pulver) Bach was a clinical nurse specialist with expertise in gerontology, medicine, and palliative care.

Vicky was born on July 1, 1951 in Barbados to Jewish Romanian parents. Six years later, in 1957, she and her family emigrated to Montreal, Quebec. In 1967, Vicky graduated from high school and entered the workforce, holding secretarial positions at various companies. Five years later, in 1972, she married Joshua Bach and moved with him to Windsor, Ontario, where he attended law school and she continued to work as a secretary. After his graduation, in 1977, they moved to Oakville, then to Hamilton. They were joined the following year by Vicky’s sister, Molly, and her husband. Between 1978 and 1987, Vicky and Molly pursued a freelance typesetting and graphic arts business. During this time, Vicky gave birth to two daughters: Sarah, in 1981, and Eva, in 1986. She also volunteered in the emergency department at McMaster University Medical Centre.

Between 1987 and 1993, Vicky completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at McMaster, graduating with the highest standing in her class. For the next twelve and a half years, Vicky was employed with Shalom Village, a Jewish non-profit organization in Hamilton that provides services for older adults of all religions, including senior’s apartments and long-term care. There, she held a number of positions including Program Director, Director of Resident Services, Chaplaincy Nurse, and Acting Director of Care. During this time, Vicky became certified in long-term care management and as a parish nurse, and received training in palliative care.

Between 2001 and 2005, Vicky completed a Master of Science in Nursing at McMaster, focusing on decision-making in palliative care. In 2006, she left Hamilton and moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia, where she was employed with the Fraser Health Authority as a clinical nurse specialist, first in Residential Contracts & Services, then in the Older Adult Program, and finally in the Medicine Program. Specialising in acute geriatrics and clinical practice guideline development, Vicky developed documentation and acute staff education related to quality of care, transitions, care planning, care pathways, and nursing ethics. She also served as Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Her professional involvement included serving as Chair of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Association of British Columbia and as a member of the British Columbia Ministry of Health Seniors’ Hospital Care Working Group.

In July 2013, Vicky was diagnosed ALS, and resigned from her position with the Fraser Health Authority that October. She died on December 31, 2014 at the age of sixty-three.