​Pictured: Lara Gobrail, Registered Nurse, redeployed to Juravinski ICU

Teams across Hamilton Health Sciences, like all other hospitals, are under significant pressure as hospitalizations for COVID-19 and variants of concern escalate rapidly. Intensive care units (ICU) capacity is being severely stretched.

Staff and physicians have worked hard in recent weeks to create more critical care capacity, converting some areas of the hospital into temporary ICU to make room for the sickest COVID patients. This has included adding more beds and also redeploying people, updating their skill sets and transitioning to different environments.

By the numbers:

• HHS has increased the number of ICU beds at the Hamilton General and Juravinski Hospitals by 43 per cent, from 88 to 126 overall
• HHS has redeployed almost 200 staff and more are needed

Each ICU bed includes an array of equipment to support patient care. The increase in capacity and equipment has required the doubling up of beds in some rooms and putting ICU beds in areas normally reserved for procedural care.

A team is required to care for one ICU patient. This team includes nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, infection control and prevention team, social workers, perfusionists, dietitians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, clinical educators, physiotherapists, speech language therapists, health care aides, business clerks and porters.

In this third wave,  HHS shared team members' perspectives from the frontlines, captured in their own words:

Jeff Benner, Registered Nurse, Oncology, redeployed to Juravinski Hospital ICU (Pictured left)
“As a nurse that has been redeployed to the ICU, I have seen first-hand how the pandemic is affecting our population and healthcare system. Please stay safe and follow the safety measures. A big thank you to the ICU staff for being so welcoming and the amazing care you’re providing during these extremely difficult times.”

Lara Gobrail, Registered Nurse, redeployed to Juravinski ICU (Pictured above)
“I’m a registered nurse. Since November of 2020, I have been in a Clinical Informatics Specialist role for the new hospital information system project. Prior to that, I worked in the JH Emergency Department. This week, I was temporarily redeployed to the JH ICU.

It can be challenging and stressful to work in a department that you’ve never worked in before, and the ICU is an extremely specialized area that demands a high level of physical and mental effort. I’ve had to quickly learn new skills and draw on much of my previous nursing experience to adapt to this environment. I have the greatest respect for my colleagues who have been caring for patients throughout the entirety of the pandemic; they truly are heroes.

Deb Harding, Registered Dietitian, redeployed to Juravinski Hospital ICU (Pictured right)

“People might not even think about nutrition for someone on a ventilator. These patients are most often fed specialized formulas through tubes going from their nose or mouth into their stomach. As a Registered Dietitian it is my job to make sure they getting enough calories and protein on a daily basis, but also the right mix of nutrients to help with their recovery. I didn’t fully understand the threat from third wave until I started working in ICU myself. I cannot imagine how terrifying the experience must be for the patients and their loved ones. The public should know what to do to help. In the meantime, I’ll keep showing up to lend a hand to my colleagues who have been at this for over a year.”

Jodie Konior, Social Worker, Hamilton General Hospital ICU  (Pictured left)
"As a social worker in the ICU, much of my job has become focused on supporting families of loved ones who are extremely sick or dying from COVID-19. My days are long, busy, and emotionally exhausting. Please think of everyone working in the hospitals and these families when you're considering whether or not to follow public health guidelines."

Elise Loreto, Physiotherapist, Hamilton General Hospital ICU (Pictured right)
“Our healthcare system and our ICU team is being stretched to its limits. With the surge in ICU patients, my work days have become increasingly more stressful and tiring. I work with an incredible team that excels in times of crisis but we can’t do this alone. We need everyone to continue adhering to public health guidelines to ensure our family, friends and fellow citizens have access to care when they need it.”

Read more experiences from the frontlines during COVID-19's third wave.