June 16, 2020

Up Close: COVID-19 Units at Hamilton General Hospital

At Hamilton General Hospital, two units have been designated to care for COVID-19 patients: 8 West and ICU South. By grouping these patients together, we reduce the risk of spreading the virus throughout our hospitals.

Each unit is staffed by a dedicated team. These professionals have had to adapt quickly to new routines, precautions and procedures to take the best possible care of their patients and themselves. Their bravery, skill, and compassion is outstanding.

Since receiving our first COVID-positive patient in March, staff across Hamilton Health Sciences have cared for more than 60 people with this disease. These photos provide an inside look at just a sliver of their hard work on the Hamilton General Hospital COVID units.

A nurse pulls medication through a syringe.

A nurse draws medication into a syringe. Staff assemble medications and instruments before entering a patient’s room to minimize the time they spend inside.

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One staff member checks the backside of another to make sure their personal protective equipment is secure.

Nurses monitor each other while donning and doffing their PPE to ensure safety while caring for these patients. Full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) must be put on every time a staff member enters a patient room.

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A nurse checks an elderly patients temperature with a thermometer.

A nurse checks a patient's temperature. Beverly Blackwood spent 40 days on the COVID unit after testing positive for the virus in April.

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Staff huddle around a memorial board and pay their repects to patients who have passed on.

Staff on 8 West take a moment to reflect on the patients with COVID-19 who have died. They pay tribute to each of them on a special board to acknowledge their life and their passing.

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Staff huddle around a celebration board to cheer on patients who have recovered and ready to leave the ward.

Celebrations are just as important. The team recognizes each patient they discharge by clapping them out of the unit.

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Two nurses do paperwork at their nurses station.

Masks must be worn at all times on the COVID unit, even while doing desk work.

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Staff help set up a digital family visit on a laptop.

The team uses technology to communicate with colleagues and patients, reducing the number of staff who need to enter patient rooms.

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Our team recognizes the struggles family and patients have during this time of isolation. They make every effort to get in touch with family members at home and connect them with their loved ones. Some of these devices were donated by a group of physicians leading communication initiatives for COVID-19 patients.

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An environmental aide poses with his tools.

Mark is an environmental aide on the COVID unit. He carefully disinfects patient rooms multiple times each day.

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A nurse prepares supplied for staff that are inside a patient room.

It takes a team to care for these patients. Nurses prepare to enter the room while their nursing colleagues stay out of the room to provide support.

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An ICU staff member washes their hands before leaving the room.

Handwashing is more important than ever. Staff wash their hands after every touchpoint with a patient or object that may have come in contact with the virus.

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If you enjoyed this photo set, have a look at other collections in the Up Close series:

Trauma Team Response

Open Heart Surgery

Cogeneration Plant

Biomedical Technology

Prosthetics and Orthotics in Motion