The MGH ICU adopts new strategies in the face of COVID-19

From left to right: Karin Ko, Assistant Nurse Manager, Dr. Dan Deckelbaum, Trauma Surgeon, Angela Izzo, Interim Nurse Educator, Maxime Breton, MGH ICU Nurse Manager, Sarah St-Germain, nurse, Catherine Becker, Nurse Educator.

Many would say that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) has seen it all. Broken bones caused by bad car accidents or steep falls off buildings, serious knife injuries and even gun wounds. In the face of COVID-19, this fast-acting team has shown just how proactive they are by adopting new strategies to help restore our city back to health as quickly as possible.

“We always work as a team and are used to working under pressure, but now more so than usual,” says Maxime Breton, Nurse Manager of the MGH ICU. "This pandemic holds many unknown factors, such as the number of patients we will have to care for," he adds. For this reason, Maxime has been going to work before his shift to provide night shift staff with the latest information before they head home.

In fact, the whole team has been going above and beyond during off hours. Dr. Dan Deckelbaum, Trauma Surgeon, has been returning to the ICU after shifts to run simulations with night staff. Similarly, Sarah St-Germain, a nurse on the unit, has devoted her time-off to creating diagrams which depict important safety protocols, making the information easier and quicker to absorb. Angela Izzo, also a nurse on the unit, temporarily took on the role of a nurse educator and is organizing up to two simulations per day.

From our hard-working staff at the MGH ICU, we remind you that staying in really does save lives.