Meet Meghan

World-class Stollery care doesn’t just happen within one building. Stollery expertise reaches kids and families beyond the main Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre site, including at the Stollery NICU at the Sturgeon Community Hospital, where Meghan works as a Registered Nurse.

Meghan’s work takes place in an integrated NICU within the labour and delivery unit, which keeps things very busy for her and her team. While the Sturgeon NICU only opened in 2019, Meghan has worked off and on for the Stollery for 12 years, taking some time away to focus on her own medical son. He is a previous micro-preemie and spent 504 days at the Stollery before coming home.

In her free time, Meghan loves to spend time with her family, travel, stay active, listen to music, read, walk her dog and have game nights!

Let’s find out more about Meghan, including her son’s very own Stollery story:

What do you like most about your job?

Connecting with my tiny patients and their families. It is a very rewarding job to see your patient grow and get ready to go home. NICU nurses impact families in their most vulnerable time and that impression can have lasting effects.

Do you have a personal connection to the Stollery?

Our youngest son was born at 25 weeks, spent several months at the Stollery NICU at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and then was transferred to the Stollery home site for further care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We have spent months in the Stollery for surgeries, adverse respiratory events and follow-up care. We have gotten to know many of the staff members; we’re always greeted with smiles, and they love to see our son growing and thriving. Being an NICU nurse sparked a journey to become a foster parent to medically fragile babies, and they also received care at the Stollery. Our foster babies have since grown and moved on to their forever homes but will always remain in our lives.

Do you have a standout Stollery memory?

I have many memories at the Stollery but my standout one would have to be the time our son was in the PICU. The doctors, nurses, RTs and aide staff were absolutely incredible. They are always looking at improving practice based on patient results. They involve families in all decision making and really make you feel that you are part of the team. This is also a foundational practice in the NICU. Being a medical parent has enhanced my nursing practice because I can relate to NICU families and provide them with the best support possible.

Have donor funds directly impacted the area you work in?

Donor funds have assisted our NICU in growing and expanding capacity. These funds have supported families with supplies and meal vouchers. Funds have also been used to provide updated medical equipment in the NICU.

Do you have a favourite Stollery event?

Lemonade Stand Day! Our oldest children started doing Lemonade Stand Day years ago in support of the Stollery. And then when we had our medical child, going to the Stollery I was able to see first-hand the impact of the funds.

What is you favourite kids’ book?

Corduroy is a classic kids book, and I still read it to my youngest. I love that the little girl chooses Corduroy despite that fact that he may not be perfect.

Do you have a favourite Disney Princess or superhero?

Moana is my favourite because she is a leader and once she sets her mind to something there is no stopping her. She also has a natural connection to the ocean, and I am always looking to travel to the beach.

What is one thing people may not know about working in a NICU?

That it is a very rewarding profession. When people here the term ‘intensive care’ they associate it with sadness. And yes, there are difficult moments, but there is so much to celebrate, and it’s an honor to be part of a NICU graduates’ journey.

What do you hope to see in the future of NICU care?

My hope for the future would be expanded units that include more family rooms. This would provide more rooming in options that would optimize neuro development and emotional connection.