Meet Sophie Caron, a nurse whose dedication is matched by her enthusiasm. Ms. Caron is the head nurse of an internal medicine and cardiology care unit at the Lakeshore General Hospital. She is a strong believer in a personal approach, both with the members of her team and with patients and their families. It is the aspect of her work that she finds most satisfying.
Ms. Caron, what is your educational background?
“I studied natural sciences at CEGEP Marie-Victorin before enrolling to do a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the Université de Montréal. I left the program after two years because I didn’t want to pursue a master’s degree, which became a requirement in that field.
Ultimately, I completed my nursing diploma at the CEGEP du Vieux-Montréal in December 1993.”
How did you begin your career in healthcare?
“I started out at the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal Hospital in 1994. I worked as a nurse and assistant head nurse in the cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery department, and the respiratory department. When the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal was created in 2000, I chose to work as a nurse in the thoracic and otorhinolaryngological surgery department at the Hôpital Notre-Dame.
Three years later, I joined that facility’s blood bank team as a nurse. That was an opportunity for me to further develop my management and leadership skills. I was missing direct contact with patients, so in 2006 I took on the role of head nurse in hematology-gynecology-oncology, where I stayed for eight years.
After leaving the Hôpital Notre-Dame in 2014, I worked part-time as a nurse at the Maison Source Bleue palliative care centre in Boucherville for five years.”
And how did you come to join our CIUSSS?
“In December 2014, an employment agency found me a position as a replacement night coordinator at the Lakeshore General Hospital (LGH). I was later hired to be the interim head nurse for the Emergency Department. A year later I moved into the role of bed management coordinator at St. Mary’s Hospital Centre before returning to the LGH, where I then worked as the head nurse in the Intensive Care Unit for seven years. After that I was interim coordinator in the Emergency Department.
And just recently, in June 2024, I became the head nurse on 4 West. Now I feel very much at ease, surrounded by a wonderful care team.”
What are your primary responsibilities?
“My primary role is to ensure the flow of patients occupying the unit’s 40 beds, by making sure that I know the patients well and the care team well. It is essential to discuss the potential risks of prolonged hospitalization with patients and their families.
I also pay close attention to the quality of care and services we provide. I do regular rounds, review interventions with the staff, and advocate for clear communication between the various stakeholders.”
What are your biggest challenges?
“Staffing shortages and retaining staff. Having lived through various personal challenges myself, I can understand the difficult situations my team faces (single parenting, sick children and parents, etc.). I’m attentive to their needs and I approach each problem convinced that there is a solution.”
What is your approach to being head nurse?
“Honestly, I try to be the head nurse I never had. I am caring, cheerful, a solutions-oriented team builder. I lead by example. I take an active role in our unit’s work and make sure that my team knows I have their backs. I give a lot, but I get so much more in return!”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“Proximity to my team, the patients, and their families. We may not be able to cure all of our patients, but we can help them be as comfortable as possible and to regain autonomy with as little pain as possible.
My team is currently gaining momentum. All of them—nurses, nursing assistants, beneficiary attendants, administrative agents, and service aides—are focused on our patients’ well-being. We can also count on essential interdisciplinary support from other professionals, including the doctors. And I know I can count on a Director of Nursing who is very attentive, generous, and inspiring leader.”
Ms. Caron also agreed to tell us a little bit about her life outside of work.
What should we know about you?
“I grew up in St. Léonard, in eastern Montréal. I lived in the same house for 32 years. First, I lived there with my parents. Later, as a single mother with two young children, I lived on the second floor. Today, Marc-Olivier is 30 years old, and Sharlie-Anne is 29.
When I was 50, I gave love another chance and met Francis, a gem of a human being who became my husband in 2023. At our wedding, 24 of the guests were colleagues from the LGH Intensive Care Unit, including 5 doctors!”
To relax, you…
“I love to read, doing crosswords, and good wine. And simply savouring the beautiful moments in life. I’ve had a brush with death, so my senses are always fully alert.”
Do you like to travel?
“Absolutely! Last year, my husband and I went to Switzerland and Germany. This year we will be taking a cruise to Croatia and Italy.”
“A nurse who gets noticed is a nurse who is in the profession for the right reasons and always gives her best. Otherwise, patients feel it,” explains Ms. Caron, shown here with Isabelle Caron (left), Interim Director—Nursing Directorate.
“I enjoy sharing my knowledge with younger members of my team. I also pay particular attention to the potential of each one, and I don’t hesitate to support their career advancement,” says Ms. Caron. Ms. Caron (in the foreground) with some of her team members at a social event.