Celebrating Neonatal Nurses Week
As we are celebrating our neonatal nurses, we sat down with Katia Desroques, a passionate Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse with 25 years of experience, to learn about her journey and what makes caring for our tiniest patients so special.
For Katia, working in the NICU isn't just a career, it's a calling that has shaped her professional life for over two decades. Her journey began at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de la Guadeloupe, where she worked for 12 years before moving to CHU Sainte-Justine and then joining the Montreal Children’s Hospital NICU ten years ago.
From the very beginning of her nursing studies, Katia knew she had found her calling: “When I discovered the NICU, I understood why I became a nurse. These babies are the most fragile little people you can imagine. Caring for them is so beautiful and so meaningful; it’s a visceral feeling. I knew right away that this is where I belonged.”
The power of teamwork
Katia is also part of the resuscitation team, a role she embraces with dedication. But what she loves most is the teamwork that makes the NICU run every day. The collaborative spirit extends far beyond the nursing staff, encompassing everyone: “Our team is incredible. From the nurses and respiratory-therapist to the pharmacists, cleaning staff, and coordinators. We work hand in hand, always ready to support each other, especially in the most challenging moments when a baby’s condition worsens. That mentality of helping and caring for one another is what makes this job so special.”
The solidarity among team members is particularly evident during challenging moments. "We're really a very tight-knit team, and between nurses, when there are difficulties with a baby who's deteriorating more than another, we're immediately there for each other, despite the work we have to do with our own babies. There's a mentality of mutual aid and kindness that is really interesting, passionate, and enriching."
Finding beauty in the most difficult moments
Perhaps one of the most profound aspects of Katia's work involves palliative care and supporting families through some of life's most challenging moments. "There's nothing more beautiful than accompanying these families in these crucial moments of their lives."
These experiences, while emotionally demanding, are deeply meaningful. "It's so enriching and so beautiful. It's not even just enriching, it's so consuming, so draining, but so magnificent and full of love. I put all my soul and heart into this kind of care."
The MUHC advantage
Working at the McGill University Health Centre brings a unique dimension to neonatal care, something Katia particularly values. “Many of our doctors are also involved in research,” she explains, highlighting one of the institution’s greatest strengths. This dual commitment to patient care and scientific advancement creates an environment where evidence-based practice is a reality.
The commitment to continuous improvement permeates every aspect of the unit’s culture; she describes the unit as being in constant motion and in a perpetual quest for improvement. This openness to innovation and willingness to evolve ensures that patients receive not just good care, but the most current, evidence-based care possible.
Working in the NICU requires more than technical skills; it demands a complete commitment of heart and spirit. "You can't work in the NICU just for the salary," Katia notes. "It demands much more than that."
As we celebrate Neonatal Nurse Week, Katia's story reminds us of the extraordinary dedication required to care for our most vulnerable patients. To all our neonatal nurses: thank you for your unwavering commitment, your gentle hands, and your hearts full of love.