Carol Scrivener, who performs as Carolina Jack, wrote &ldquo;We&rsquo;re Gonna Be Okay&rdquo; to help people stay strong and keep fighting COVID-19.

Working in emergency departments in Saskatoon, registered nurse Carol Scrivener knows firsthand how difficult the COVID-19 pandemic has been.  Although she acknowledges there are &ldquo;dark days ahead,&rdquo; Scrivener (who, in her spare time, writes songs and performs as Carolina Jack) says she keeps going back to the idea that people don&rsquo;t know how strong they are until it&rsquo;s the only choice they have. And she calls the fact that we now have vaccines for the virus &ldquo;one of the most amazing scientific feats I&rsquo;ve witnessed in my lifetime.&rdquo;

Drawing on the good news of vaccines and the sacrifices made by those around her for inspiration, Scrivener wrote and recorded an uplifting song titled &ldquo;We&rsquo;re Gonna Be Okay&rdquo; as a way to lift hearts and spirits during the cold January days. You can listen to it below.

"We're Gonna Be Okay": Saskatchewan nurse creates song of encouragement amid ongoing pandemic

Saskatchewan nurse creates song of encouragement amid the ongoing pandemic

Richard Reid fell ill in March and was cared for by Trillium Health Partners. In this video, he gets to thank the staff who helped him survive. 

Torontonian Richard Reid traveled to Florida in early March and, upon his return to Canada, tested positive for COVID-19. He quickly became seriously ill and spent time in a Toronto intensive-care unit, where he was intubated for several days. He has since made a full recovery, and recently his wife arranged for him to reunite (at a safe distance, of course) with the healthcare workers from Trillium Health Partners who helped him survive his illness. You can watch the heartwarming video on Instagram below.

VIDEO: Toronto COVID-19 survivor reunites with the health team who saved his life

Four health care workers at the Mississauga hospital have taken up playing the piano, replacing volunteers who can&rsquo;t enter the facility due to the pandemic. 

In pre-COVID times, the Credit Valley Hospital&rsquo;s atrium was usually filled with the sound of music: volunteers took turns playing a grand piano for the enjoyment of both medical staff and patients, through a Trillium Health Partners program called Music of Healing and Hope. But once the pandemic hit, the music came to an abrupt end as volunteers were banned from the facility for safety reasons. Those working in the hospital found it eerily quiet without the usual piano notes audible during their workday.

But recently the music has begun again, thanks to four health care workers who have taken up performing on their lunch breaks. Radiation therapist Letizia Chung was the first to ask if she could play, despite not having used her piano skills since high school. She missed hearing the music and wanted to contribute in her own way.

Three other health care workers also stepped up, including Dian Ramnarine, an operating room nurse, and now music is a frequent sound in the hospital once again. Diana Gawel, the hospital&rsquo;s volunteer resource administrative assistant, says the four musicians &ldquo;have truly changed the atrium and brought a sense of togetherness back.&rdquo;

Music fills the atrium at Credit Valley Hospital, raising the spirits of workers and patients alike

For the first time in months, Humber River Hospital has no COVID patients in its ICU.

The Humber River Hospital in Toronto has reason for celebration: for the first time since March 14, the hospital has zero COVID-19 patients in their intensive care unit. The hospital announced the good news on Friday, tweeting, "Wow!! Today is the first day since Mar 14th that our Intensive Care Unit are #COVID&#12540;19 patient free! Thank you to the 6th-floor staff and physicians that have bonded together and provided exceptional care in this pandemic. Today is a day to celebrate at #HRH." Dr. Garret Pulle, a critical care physician, said that the hospital staff are very pleased to celebrate this benchmark after several months of battling COVID-19. "We've had many different emotions over those last four months, starting with fear and anxiety and ending with utter exhaustion, " said Dr. Pulle.

At one point during the pandemic, Humber River Hospital had the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the Greater Toronto Area. Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, an internal medicine doctor at Humber River Hospital, said that hospital staff have "gone through three and a half months of treating patients with a pretty serious illness, treating a disease we've never treated before. So the fact that we've been able to go down to zero patients in the ICU is quite celebratory for us." 

Dr. Spiegelman said that the key to preventing a larger COVID-19 outbreak in the hospital was rigorous use of PPE by hospital staff. "The first couple of months were very scary and we were worried about bringing the disease home to our families, so we learned the proper way of treating the patients and the proper way of putting on PPE," said Dr. Spiegelman. "The PPE that we use really protected us in the ICU. We've had no staff members get COVID-19 from a patient, so we know that N95 face-masks, gowns, gloves, and face-shields are the appropriate equipment we need." Dr. Spiegelman says that staff were retrained in the early days of the pandemic for how to properly put on and take off the PPE.  "We have someone watching us put it on to make sure it's being done correctly, because that's when you can self-contaminate the most."

At the height of the pandemic, Humber River Hospital had one of the busiest ICUs in Toronto, with 48 beds filled and working at 120% capacity. Additionally, Dr. Spiegelman says that the hospital stabilized "at least double" that number of COVID-19 patients, who were then transferred to other hospitals that weren't as busy. Despite the celebratory mood in the hospital on Friday, Dr. Spiegelman notes that the biggest celebrations took place when the hospital had individual successes. "When we had individual patients that survived and were able to leave the ICU, that's when we really celebrated successes. Those personal individual wins are the most important."

Toronto hospital free of COVID-19 patients for first time since March

The gallery created the exhibit as part of its Creative Wellness partnership with the Ottawa Hospital. 

If you&rsquo;ve been out walking in your area since the start of the pandemic, you&rsquo;ve likely seen handmade signs in windows, jokes chalked onto sidewalks, or colourful painted rocks with encouraging messages thanking health care workers scattered on trails and in gardens. Now the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) has collected images of that artwork from around the city and built a virtual mini-exhibition. The gallery is encouraging community members to submit photos of their art to be added to the slideshows.

The project is just one part of the Creative Wellness partnership between the OAG and the Ottawa Hospital. This initiative supports the creation of new art to brighten up hospital facilities and celebrate health research achievements, as well as the development of art therapy programs to enhance patient care.

You can check out the mini art exhibition, titled &ldquo;Signs of Hope,&rdquo; on the OAG&rsquo;s website.

Ottawa Art Gallery stages online mini-exhibition of support messages for frontline workers

76-year-old Jessie Jacobs discharged after prolonged hospitalization with COVID-19. 

Three months from the day that she was hospitalized with COVID-19, Jessie Jacobs was finally able to see her family members again. 87 days after first being admitted to hospital, 76-year old Jessie Jacobs was discharged on Thursday. As she entered the main public floor of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Jacobs was greeted by balloons, banners, and cheering doctors holding up signs to congratulate her. The warm welcome left Jacobs speechless and emotional, with family members holding a large banner in front of the hospital reading "87DAYSUDIDIT!" Jacobs's daughter, Lisa Frank, said that her mother's brave months-long battle against the virus took an incredible toll on the family. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been scary, we thought we were going to lose her multiple times," said Frank. Jacobs had not been able to see her family since the day that she tested positive for COVID-19 on April 8. 

Jacobs was not sure why there were many people cheering with balloons on the main floor of the hospital, but as she approached them she could not believe that the festivities were all happening to celebrate her survival. "Coming out and seeing all the people and wondering what was going on -- and [realizing] it was for me -- was unbelievable,&rdquo; said Jacobs.

Jessie Jacobs was initially given oxygen upon being admitted to the hospital, but soon had to be placed on a ventilator. Of the 87 days that Jacobs spent in the hospital, she was on a ventilator for an entire month. "I had to fight. I just could not see myself giving in," said Jacobs. "I&rsquo;m not like that. I&rsquo;m not that kind of a person. So I did fight.&rdquo; Jacobs's son, Mike, is urging people to keep taking precautions and stay vigilant. &ldquo;You could be 15, 30 or 40, and you could breeze it, but if you get it and you give the virus to someone older, they may not.&rdquo;

Ontario woman released from hospital after 87-day battle with COVID-19

Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated Canada Day by speaking with British Columbia doctors and nurses over Zoom.

Doctors and nurses at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, British Columbia were thanked for their tireless work on Wednesday by two special guests: Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge marked Canada Day by thanking front-line staff at the hospital over Zoom for their incredible work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The royal couple received an excited reaction from the Surrey Memorial Hospital healthcare workers, who were encouraged to share their experiences of working on the front-line against COVID-19. The healthcare workers discussed several issues with their special guests, including the new workplace realities under COVID-19 and the state of their mental health working during the pandemic. 

The Duke and Duchess asked staff what their biggest challenges have been over the last few months, and several hospital workers pointed to the inability to meet the families of COVID-19 patients, making it difficult to provide family-focused care. "It has impacted patients' mental health and their families' mental health," explained hospital social worker Sunny Dulai. Dulai said that patients and family members have suffered "a lot of distress" from not being able to see loved ones. Despite the difficulties of treating COVID-19, Dr. Gregory Haljan said that the health workers were very fortunate to have tremendous leadership at the hospital. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been planning since February. It came here earlier than a few other places, but with great planning, leadership and a lot of luck as well, we all know that we&rsquo;ve been very fortunate.&rdquo;

Prince William and Kate Middleton wished the healthcare workers a happy Canada Day, and thanked them for their efforts and the personal sacrifices that they've had to make. "It's an amazing role that you're playing and a hugely tough one as well, so we're in huge admiration for everything you're doing," said the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William said that he was moved to thank the healthcare workers for the manner in which they've navigated these tough times. "We want to say how proud we are of all of you and everyone on the front line who has led the way, very stoically, very bravely, and put patient care right at the top of the list, and done a fantastic job," said Prince William. The royal couple said that they look forward to one day visiting the hospital and thanking the staff in person.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank BC hospital workers for their work during pandemic

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank B.C. hospital workers for their work during pandemic

Toronto company has created a colouring book for children to celebrate COVID-19 healthcare heroes.

A Toronto company has released a colouring book that honours Canada's frontline COVID-19 workers while raising money for children in need. The "

" colouring kit is a downloadable colouring book developed by Makers that connects children to frontline workers through art, and allows them to understand the sacrifices being made during the pandemic. "The goal was to spread joy and provide an additional activity for kids who are not going back to school this year," says Andrea Wong, a producer at Makers. The illustrations were drawn by over twenty artists, and many of the colourable portraits are of real Canadian doctors and nurses, who are portrayed in the book as superheroes. Apart from health staff, some colouring pages also honour frontline heroes whose stories are often overlooked, including garbage collectors, grocery store cashiers, and mail carriers.

Makers founder Sumit Ajwani says the "Super Essential Workers" colouring book has opened conversations between children and parents about what is going on and how we can all help. Ajwani notes that the book provides a great way to speak about the pandemic, while teaching children about the brave work of people whose jobs don't permit for social distancing. The colouring book is free to download online, and once downloaded the website will bring parents to a page where they can donate to Kids Help Phone. "Kids Help Phone is getting more calls than ever before because of the COVID pandemic," says Wong, "so it was important for Makers to help an organization supporting kids."

New colouring book honours "superhero" frontline workers

Montreal mother met her son for a first time nearly two months after giving birth.

A mother and her newborn baby have been reunited after 55 days apart. Emmanuelle (who asked not to have her full name published) was separated from her baby immediately after an emergency C-section, during which doctors discovered that she had COVID-19. The diagnosis came as a complete shock to Emmanuelle, who did not display any COVID-19 symptoms. Emmanuelle was only 26-weeks pregnant when she began to have severe stomach pains, which were revealed to be premature labour contractions. 

Once the C-section was complete, Emmanuelle was told that her baby was a boy, but was not permitted to touch or even see her baby as a coronavirus preventative measure. Emmanuelle was tested for COVID-19 weekly hoping the virus had left her system, but she continued to test positive for seven weeks. During her isolation, staff at Montreal's St-Justine Hospital set up an iPad for her to be able to see and talk to her baby while she waited at home for the virus to pass. To make matters worse, the baby's father was out of the country when the borders were closed and has not been allowed back in. 

After finally testing negative for COVID-19, Emmanuelle was able to meet her son for a first time last week, 55 days after giving birth. Emmanuelle was overrun with emotion to see her son face-to-face, and says she is focusing now on making up for lost time. 

Mother reunited with baby after testing positive for COVID-19 during labour

Mother reunited with baby son after testing positive for COVID-19 during labour

Doctors and nurses at the William Osler Health System share stories and best practices through book club.

Many of us have found the pandemic to be a perfect opportunity to catch up on books that have been sitting on the shelf for too long. At the William Osler Health System in Toronto, doctors and nurses have created a healthcare worker virtual book club, allowing the hospital staff to feel united across the hospital network through a shared passion for reading. Nearly 70 health care workers participated in the first virtual book club, where they discussed 

The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy is Essential in Everyday Life 

by Dr. Brian Goldman, who also participated in the meeting to answer questions. 

The book club provides a space for hospital staff to discuss complex cases and patient stories, which book club co-founder Dr. Jeffrey Handler has described as another "tool to help us in our care." Health care workers at William Osler Health System have lauded the lunch-hour virtual book club as providing a "breakaway" from work, while building resilience, teamwork, empathy, and kindness. "The book club not only provides a much-needed escape," says Alina Lo Bianco, a registered practical nurse. "But these books also provide lessons for the health-care providers." The group looks forward to a day when they can gather in person again, but until then, the virtual book club will continue to provide relief and support for the healthcare staff. 

Virtual book club unites health care workers during pandemic

Echogram, run by three medical students from UBC and U of T, offers hand-drawn portraits in exchange for donations to the Frontline Fund, which supports Canadian hospitals. 

Emily Chen, Melissa Lee, and Kimberly Young are celebrating and honouring health care heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic by creating hand-drawn digital portraits of these individuals. All three are current medical students who felt the need to do something tangible to say &ldquo;thank you&rdquo; to their future colleagues, who are putting their own health on the line to fight this disease. So the Echogram website was born.

Anyone can commission a portrait, whether for themselves or for a loved one. All proceeds are donated to the Frontline Fund, which helps Canadian hospitals purchase needed supplies and conduct research.

As the project grows, Echogram will also be showcasing stories from front line workers on the &ldquo;Behind the Mask&rdquo; section of the website.

Trio of med students creating digital portraits of health care workers

Staff at London Health Sciences Centre clip the bigger photos of themselves dressed casually and smiling to the outside of their PPE, so patients can see what they look like underneath.

It can be scary for hospital patients to come face-to-mask with a health worker in head-to-toe personal protective gear. But that gear is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings. Leadership at London Health Sciences Centre in southern Ontario heard from staff and on social media that larger photo ID badges might help. Workers can now contact the Patient Engagement Team to get one of the new badges, which feature a 4-by-6-inch photo of themselves dressed in casual clothing and sporting a smile, with their name and job title in large print.

The large badges, which have instructions for their proper use and disinfection printed on the back, are not mandatory, but staff are being encouraged to sign up for the program. Personal support worker McKenzie Johnson says her badge is already getting &ldquo;great feedback from both colleagues and patients.&rdquo;

London hospital workers wearing larger photo ID badges to reassure patients

2020 graduate Jordan Bast finished her schooling in April and immediately took a contract at a group home in the Toronto area experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19.

She never got to celebrate her graduation, and hasn&rsquo;t even passed her RN certification exam yet, but Jordan Bast says the reality of the COVID-19 outbreak drove her to get involved as quickly as she could on the front lines of the fight against the virus. Bast completed her nursing degree at Queen&rsquo;s in April and has a job waiting for her at Toronto&rsquo;s Sick Kids hospital starting in August. But when she she heard about a group home in the GTA that needed help dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19, she didn&rsquo;t hesitate.

The short-term contract involved long shifts, sometimes up to 16 hours, and living in a hotel near her workplace so she would not put family members at risk while working closely with infected patients. Bast says she was fortunate to have adequate personal protective equipment during her time working at the group home and that using her nursing skills to help others has allowed her to cope better with the pandemic.

Tag: Nurses