Tell us about yourself!
My name is Martha Durling, and I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RT) at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). I have been working at MGH since 2020.
What motivated you to join MGH?
I started my career at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I finished school earlier than anticipated in Calgary, packed up all my belongings and moved to Ontario. I was new to Ontario, but knew East Toronto was the neighbourhood I wanted to be in and was lucky enough to get an interview and start my career at MGH.
What types of learning, mentorship or professional development opportunities have you had the opportunity to pursue since joining MGH?
At MGH, RTs work in different areas throughout the hospital, a model that allows us to be autonomous and function effectively with minimal supervision. I’ve found this way of working has helped improve my skills as it allowed for more clinical opportunities. For example, I’ve been able to intubate and insert arterial lines, which is not always an opportunity for RTs at other hospitals.
Can you share your career path at MGH?
In 2020, I started in my current role as RT at MGH. One great aspect of being an RT is that you are not restricted to one area of the hospital. As an RT, your clinical skills and expertise are required for patients of all ages – from newborns and paediatrics up to the geriatric population.
What motivates or inspires you?
As an RT, there are good days and there are bad days, and these days are completely unpredictable. My coworkers have truly inspired me and have helped shape me into the RT that I am today. They motivate me to be the best RT I can – and they’ve taught me so much since I started at MGH. The COVID-19 pandemic was a very difficult time for healthcare workers and took its toll on us, but we kept showing up and provided all that we could for our patients.
If you could share one memorable moment from your time at MGH, what stands out to you?
As an RT, you sometimes get to build relationships with patients who you see on a regular basis. One patient I saw quite frequently asked how my wedding plans were coming along, and I would keep this patient updated as the day got closer and closer. I mentioned how my dog would be walking down the aisle ahead of me, but I couldn’t quite figure out the right song. I asked the patient if they could come up with an idea for a song. I gave the patient some time to think, and a few weeks later, they came up with a song: “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men. It was a hit at our wedding! After the wedding, I showed the patient the video of our goofy Golden Retriever running down the aisle to this song and the smile on this patient’s face was priceless. It’s small moments like this that make the hard days worth it.