Nursing Impact Report

Nurse-led wound care program sets a new standard across units

At Mackenzie Health, we’re not just following best practices — we’re redefining them. Our Wound Care Champions program, introduced in 2024, is a nurse-led initiative that places us at the forefront of specialized, patient-centred care. With more than 85 frontline nurses trained as Wound Care Champions, we’ve built a network of clinical leaders who are raising the standard for how wound care is delivered across our organization. These Champions are embedded directly within care teams across units, providing hands-on expertise, mentorship and education. This approach ensures that every patient — no matter where they are in their care journey — has access to the same high-quality, evidence-based wound care that is always centred on what matters most: the people we serve.

Nurses drive safety innovations in neonatal care

At Mackenzie Health, our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is setting a high standard in family-centred, safety-driven care. Families aren’t just cared for — they’re actively supported and empowered throughout their baby’s journey, reflecting our deep commitment to partnership and excellence. Over the past year, nurses have led innovative improvements that put safety first. For example, in 2024, a redesign of the unit’s breastmilk fridge improved how milk is stored and administered — just one of many ways our nurses are reducing risk through smart, practical innovation. By combining clinical expertise with compassionate support and proactive problem-solving, Mackenzie Health continues to lead in neonatal care — building trust, enhancing outcomes and ensuring families in our community feel confident, informed and never alone.

Patient and family town halls build trust and shape mental health care

In inpatient mental health, healing isn’t just about treatment — it’s about being heard. That’s the spirit behind new monthly patient and family townhalls established in December 2024 by the clinical team, where patients, families and care teams come together to talk openly, share feedback and shape care together. These conversations are building trust, strengthening relationships and turning ideas into meaningful change. At the heart of it all are our patient care partners — people with lived experience who listen, advocate and bring a powerful voice to the room. Their insight is helping our team bridge the gap between care and experience to deliver more compassionate, responsive and person-centred care that reflects the needs of our patients, families and communities.

Specialized nurse training enhances stroke response

As the York Region District Stroke Centre, Mackenzie Health is leading the charge in stroke care — where every second matters. Nurses on our Stroke Team identified a critical opportunity to improve how stroke symptoms are recognized and addressed across departments. In collaboration with our Simulation Program, they introduced specialized, hands-on training for nurses across the organization that boosts clinical awareness and sharpens team response. The impact has been immediate and measurable: internal Code Stroke activations more than doubled, ensuring faster intervention and better outcomes for patients. This initiative is reshaping policies, streamlining workflows and reinforcing a culture of rapid, co-ordinated response. It’s a strong example of how ongoing education, simulation and interdisciplinary collaboration are helping to enhance stroke care at Mackenzie Health.

Nurses revamp key tool to boost newborn emergency care

At Mackenzie Health, we’re raising the bar for safety and precision in neonatal care by improving our response to high-stakes emergencies. During high-pressure Code Pink situations, every second counts. That’s why a team of nurses led a redesign of our Code Pink cart — a vital newborn resuscitation tool — to make it faster, safer and easier to use in critical moments. Working with colleagues across different disciplines, the team eliminated redundancies, streamlined supplies and created a more intuitive layout. Formally endorsed by our Acute Resuscitation Committee, the redesigned cart is now in use and rooted in high reliability organizing principles — proven safety practices that reduce risk and drive continuous improvement. This initiative reflects our leadership in neonatal safety, empowering care teams to act with confidence and giving families greater peace of mind when it matters most.

First-in-Canada smart IV pump technology boosts patient safety

In April 2024, Mackenzie Health became the first health care system in Canada to launch a technology that allows for two-way information flow between an intravenous (IV) medication pump and a patient’s electronic medical record (EMR). The technology, known as BD Alaris™ EMR Interoperability, replaces the need for health care professionals to manually program pumps while sending infusion safety information back to a patient’s EMR, significantly reducing the risk of administration errors and providing an accurate infusion record in the EMR. 

Working in collaboration with the Pharmacy and Digital Health teams, nurses across Mackenzie Health played a key role in the implementation of this initiative. For example, in the clinical areas, frontline nurses led the planning of this effort and actively supported education to ensure workflows were tailored to their team’s specific needs. This collaborative initiative is a big step forward in safer, smarter care for our community.

New partnership brings access to quality cancer care closer to home

In March 2025, Mackenzie Health became a proud member of the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Network, a milestone that began with a nurse on our team who introduced the idea of joining this partnership. This collaboration expands access to world-class cancer care, right here in our community. Nurses, alongside our clinical care team, now have access to leading cancer care resources, education and training to strengthen the care we provide. And for our patients, this collaboration offers access to clinical trials, cancer survivorship and caregiver coaching programs, as well as enhanced education and resources in different languages. This initiative not only further supports our nursing practice but also ensures patients and families receive high-quality, compassionate cancer care close to home.

Nurses develop new care model to prevent in-hospital delirium

Mackenzie Health nurses are leading the way in improving care for older adults — starting with preventing delirium before it starts. In 2024, as part of our broader Seniors’ Care Strategy, teams partnered with Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), an education and consultation program for clinical staff, to develop and implement a new care model that targets hospital-acquired delirium, a serious condition that significantly impacts patient outcomes and length of stay.

On pilot units, nurses now follow a standardized process to prevent delirium, which includes helping patients stay mentally active, well-hydrated and comfortable in their space, with the goal to expand these strategies across the organization. Combined with hospital-wide training in delirium detection, this approach is helping create safer, more responsive care for older patients.

Staff-led Unit Councils drive better care and gain national spotlight

Across Mackenzie Health, meaningful change often starts at the front line. Since their launch in 2024, Unit Councils — staff-led groups embedded in each unit — have brought team members together to identify challenges, test solutions and improve how care is delivered in every way. From creative team-building efforts to streamlining daily workflows, each council tailors its focus to the unique needs of their unit. Their work goes beyond the bedside: one council’s project to support novice nurses and build a stronger safety culture was featured at the 2024 Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Conference. Unit Councils reflect Mackenzie Health’s commitment to engaging staff as leaders in change — recognizing that the best ideas often come from those closest to patients, and that empowered teams drive better care.

New initiative streamlines discharge process for surgery patients

Since January 2025, nurses on Mackenzie Health’s Surgery unit have been leading improvements to make discharges after short stay surgery smoother, faster and more co-ordinated — without compromising care quality. By identifying bottlenecks and introducing practical, time-saving solutions like pre-assembled discharge packages, the team has reduced delays, improved communication and enhanced the experience for both patients and staff. Nurses report feeling more supported in their roles, while patients benefit from a more seamless transition home. This initiative highlights the value of frontline leadership and everyday innovation — showing how small, targeted changes can make a meaningful difference. It’s a strong example of how nurse-driven problem-solving continues to elevate care and strengthen teamwork across the organization.

Unit Council lead key initiatives to prevent injury and infection in critical care

Since its launch, the Unit Council in Mackenzie Health’s Critical Care Unit (CCU) has been leading impactful, staff-driven improvements in patient care. The council brings multidisciplinary team members together to identify challenges, test solutions and continuously improve how care is delivered. In the CCU, it has spearheaded key initiatives in 2024, including enhanced pressure injury prevention and reinforcing new strategies for reducing Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI), a serious infection that can make patients sicker and extend their hospital stay.

Building on CLABSI reduction efforts that began in 2020, the team continues to implement standardized processes and routines, use specialized equipment and regularly share data and learnings to make care safer, more consistent and more effective for patients. Their work, done in close collaboration with colleagues across the organization, is helping to build clinical skills, strengthen communication and improve the patient experience — showing how frontline leadership can drive lasting, meaningful change.

Nurses develop in-house program to train and retain OR nurses

When new operating rooms opened at Mackenzie Health with the opening of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, the need for skilled operating room (OR) nurses doubled. Rather than relying solely on external recruitment, Mackenzie Health’s Perioperative Team took the lead in developing an in-house training and certification program based on leading standards. This initiative, which first began in 2022, filled critical staffing gaps and built a strong, sustainable pipeline of talent. It also required experienced nurses to step up as preceptors — dedicating time, mentorship and expertise to help novice nurses integrate into the perioperative world and grow into safe, confident practitioners. Since launching, the program has trained nine cohorts, adding around 40 skilled OR nurses to the team and achieving an 80 per cent retention rate. It’s a powerful example of how investing in nurses is helping to strengthen the future of surgical care.

Nurses redesign training to enhance safety and compassion in high-risk situations

At Mackenzie Health, our nurses are at the forefront of critical safety initiatives. In 2025, nurses in our Ambulatory Care Clinic, together with the Simulation Program, redesigned de-escalation training, focusing on real-world scenarios and hands-on learning to ensure clinical teams are prepared to manage high-risk situations with confidence, safety and compassion. This nurse-led initiative has been instrumental in enhancing staff readiness and awareness of risk, with positive feedback underscoring its practical impact. Thanks to its early success, the program is now expanding to outpatient settings, broadening its reach and ensuring more teams benefit from this essential training.

Nephrology Day unites care teams to shape better kidney care

In the Chronic Kidney Disease Program, knowledge-sharing is more than professional development — it’s a path to better, more connected care. At the 2024 Nephrology Day, an education event organized by nurses, teams from different practice areas came together to learn more about chronic kidney disease and how it connects to diabetes. But it was the voices of patients that left the greatest impact. Through their personal stories, attendees gained insight into the real-life challenges of living with kidney disease, reinforcing the importance of person-centred care. The event sparked renewed purpose across teams, strengthening collaboration and highlighting how shared learning can shape better outcomes for patients and families.

New clinic provides mental health support and stability post-discharge

For patients leaving inpatient mental health care, the transition home can be one of the most critical moments in their recovery. That’s where Mackenzie Health’s Discharge and Transitions Clinic steps in — offering stability, support and continuity when it matters most. Led by a dedicated nurse practitioner, the clinic, which opened in January 2025, provides timely follow-up care, clinical oversight and personalized guidance for patients after they are discharged from hospital. The approach helps patients stay on track with their treatment, reduce the risk of readmission and build stronger connections to long-term community resources. It’s a model rooted in compassion, designed to empower patients and support recovery beyond the hospital walls.

Nurse-Led Outreach Team empowers long-term care nurses with practical, skills-based learning

In November 2024, nurses from across our network of long-term care partners gathered for the first-ever Nurse-Led Outreach Team (NLOT) Workshop — a powerful day of hands-on learning designed to strengthen care in long-term care homes. Organized by our Nurse-Led Outreach Team in partnership with the Simulation Program, the workshop blended expert-led sessions with immersive training using manikins and other simulation tools. Nurses practiced real-world scenarios, from listening to lung sounds to refining clinical techniques, helping bridge the gap between knowledge and bedside care. By focusing on integrated, practical education, the initiative is helping ensure long-term care residents receive safer, more responsive care — and that nurses feel more confident in delivering it.