Meet Tracey Monahan, Respiratory Therapist at Michael Garron Hospital

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, my name is Tracey Monahan and I am a Senior Respiratory Therapist (RT) at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). I started working at MGH in 2006.

What motivated you to join MGH?  

I previously worked in a community hospital and after working in the private sector for a number of months, I was interested in returning to a community hospital setting. I did not know anyone at MGH at the time, but the manager who hired me wanted someone who had experience working in a community hospital setting and with respiratory rehabilitation – both of which I luckily had.

What types of learning, mentorship or professional development opportunities have you had the opportunity to pursue since joining MGH?

I recently completed a fellowship on quality improvement with the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN). It was a great experience. We had to get a quality improvement project up and running. My project was to help develop a multidisciplinary tracheostomy care team for MGH. The team meets once a week to discuss the care and plans for tracheostomy patients throughout the hospital.

I also became a Certified Respiratory Educator in 2019. This has helped me understand the different ways people learn. With this training, I have become a better teacher to not only my patients, but to my colleagues as well.

Can you share your career path at MGH?

2006: I started working at MGH in 2006 and worked for several years in the Outpatient Pulmonary Function Lab.

2020: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was one of the first staff redeployed to the COVID-19 Assessment Clinic to help do swabs and vitals for the patients.

Then, I was redeployed to the Chronic Ventilation Unit. I really enjoyed meeting and working with the interdisciplinary team there. I was able to utilize a wide variety of skills, which I enjoyed.

June 2023: I applied for the Senior Respiratory Therapist position at MGH. I learned that I got the position and will be starting in this role very soon!

I was motivated to apply for this position because I have always had an interest in teaching and this position will give me more opportunities to use my teaching skills. Part of this job involves coordinating our respiratory therapy students from the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. I’m excited to work with students as it gives me the opportunity to teach and prepare the next generation of respiratory therapists. 

What motivates or inspires you?

I have always wanted to help people. I worked as a candy striper in high school and knew I wanted to work in healthcare.

I had a lot of respiratory infections as a kid and one of my uncles has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Due to these experiences, I have always had a soft spot for patients who have trouble breathing. It makes me feel good when something I have done or taught a patient makes them breathe a little easier. As the saying goes, “when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”

If you could share one memorable moment from your time at MGH, what stands out to you?

I have been working as a respiratory therapist for 25 years in a variety of settings, such as the private home care sector and public hospital settings, including MGH.

Over the last 18 years, I have seen many changes at MGH. However, the one thing that has not changed is the dedication and team spirit of our respiratory therapists.

The COVID-19 pandemic only further enhanced the spirit of teamwork within the group as we all dealt with the impacts of COVID-19 and its effects on the respiratory health of our patients. We also supported each other through the sudden and unexpected loss of a dear colleague.

This group of amazing healthcare workers has persevered and continues to deliver high-quality care to our patients. We are all lucky to have such a wonderful group of dedicated healthcare professionals at MGH and I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them every day!