By Catherine Danko
Denise Morris was born to be a nurse leader.
From early in her 35-year career at UHN, Denise saw herself where she is today – leading a team of nurses and providing care for some of the most critically ill patients in Canada.
"Becoming Nurse Manager was definitely one of my goals," says Denise, who started at UHN in 1989 as a staff nurse on the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (NICU), while it was still operating at Toronto General Hospital (TGH).
On May 31, 2024, she'll retire as Nurse Manager of the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) at TGH, but her professional impact will last for years to come.
"She makes her staff feel like they're part of the team and also an individual," says Sheryl Alexandre, Clinical Director of UHN's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Critical Care at TGH, who is a trusted colleague and friend of Denise.
"They're never made to feel like they're just a number."
Over the years, Denise's achievements have spanned many areas, from leading the planning and implementation of the first Critical Care Response Team (CCRT) at UHN – the successful initiative that eventually led to the development of the province wide CCRT – to helping develop the Critical Care program curriculum at Humber College.
But when Denise is asked what she's most proud of, it's not necessarily her own achievements, but the quality of care that's performed by her team.
"It's absolutely exemplary," she says.
"And that's a testimony to the team, their commitment to our patients and how they come together in providing care."
The MSICU at TGH is one of the busiest intensive care units (ICU) in Canada – offering leading-edge treatments not readily accessible in any other part of Toronto or Ontario – and provides care for some of the most complex and acutely ill patients in the country.
Denise – who was prepared to retire in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit – knew that she couldn't abandon her team during such a critical time and made the decision to stay.
She describes one of her proudest moments as the day she walked through the doors of the MSICU and saw that all 36 patients on the floor were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – an advanced form of life support targeting organ failure, including COVID-19 cases.
"The MSICU was one of the few organizations worldwide that was able to manage that volume during COVID," says Denise, recalling the successful moment.
"The entire team pulled together like it was all hands-on deck, and we got through it," she says.
"I couldn't have been prouder."
In 2021, Denise was nominated by her team for the Nursing Hero Awards, winning third place. Many cited her unwavering dedication and devotion to both her team and patients and for exemplifying what a true leader is.
"Denise's shoes will be hard to fill," says Dr. John Granton, intensive care physician at TGH, who has known and worked alongside Denise since he was a medical resident in the General Internal Medicine (GIM) program specializing in critical care.
"She's seen a lot in the ICU over the years – challenges, growth, staffing issues, handling a very large team effectively and steering them through a few crises, including COVID-19 and SARS," he says.
"She's successfully kept the ship from hitting any icebergs along the way."
These sentiments are echoed by many others who have worked alongside Denise over the years.
Linda Flockhart, Clinical Director (CD) of the Brain, Spinal Cord and Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs at UHN, who was CD of the TGH ICU during the pandemic.
"Denise truly loves critical care, and there's very few people who could have put up with that pressure during a time as critical as COVID," Linda says.
"People want to work in the MSICU because of the teamwork, education and support she provides. She's not only attracted people to stay but has developed a lot of leaders over the years and helped people grow in their careers."
Despite looking forward to retirement, Denise says she's still going to miss coming to work every day – something she credits to the people and quality of work performed at TGH.
"What draws people to our hospital that it's part of a cutting-edge research facility offering therapies, innovations and treatments that no other place in Canada can provide," says Denise.
"If you're someone who seeks challenges, like many who work in critical care do, it's a fantastic place to be. UHN embraces the philosophy of growing their people, and if you aspire to grow in your career path, they will help you."
When asked what message she would like to leave with her staff upon her retirement, Denise says to always pursue your dreams, and continue to set the bar high for yourselves and for the patients.
In her retirement, Denise hopes to take gourmet cooking classes in Italy, sleep in, and spend more time with her family.
"Those are some of my hopes and dreams," she says.
