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Ricco Wong, a nurse at Markham Stouffville Hospital, smiles warmly while seated in a clinical setting. He wears a black beanie and casual black shirt, with medical equipment and wall controls visible in the background. His approachable expression conveys reassurance and kindness, reflecting his dedication to patient care.

Compassion in Action

As a Registered Nurse (RN), Ricco Wong is a part of one of the many medical care teams at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH) that go above and beyond for their patients.

Teamwork at MSH

Through his work in the post-surgical unit, Ricco is responsible for focussed assessments and treatments that ensure patient safety throughout the operative experience. He recognizes how surgery can be a stressful event for his patients and their loved ones, and because of this, Ricco prides himself on being able to do his part to care for them and to help ease some of their anxieties.

A memorable patient

Early in his career, Ricco recalls caring for an elderly patient who had hip surgery to fix a fracture caused by cancer. Reading up on her history and prognosis, Ricco was surprised by her positive mindset. During his time of caring for her, Ricco advocated for her pain management while also trying to make her laugh and ease her anxieties during her stay. Sadly, after the patient’s discharge, the family contacted MSH to let them know that she had passed away, but thanked Ricco personally for helping her laugh and feel comfortable and at ease throughout her time at the hospital.

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I extend my sincere gratitude to all donors and want them to know their support really makes a difference, especially when it comes to patient care.

Ricco Wong

Overcoming challenges

Transitioning from a new graduate to a practicing nurse is a challenging time because of how steep the learning curve can be. Ricco experienced the stress of learning how to navigate his unit, develop his practice and build his confidence as a nurse during this time in his career. It made him thankful for the new graduate guarantee (NGG) program at MSH. The NGG paired him with a very helpful preceptor who he was able to shadow and learn from over the course of three months. Rico believes teamwork is one of the most important factors in being able to meet challenges head on. He credits his colleagues in the post-surgical unit for creating an enjoyable and productive environment where staff feel comfortable asking questions and can receive the support they need to ensure they are providing the best patient care.“Everyone on the post-surgical unit is extremely helpful in checking, assisting, and ensuring all staff are supported,” comments Ricco.

A heartfelt message

Knowing that the government can’t cover the costs of all the vital equipment and technology MSH needs, Ricco has experienced first hand why it is so important for the community to support MSH.“Support for MSH is such a generous act. The money can be used to enhance patient care and give nurses access to more efficient equipment and technology, which in turn makes our jobs a little easier,” says Ricco. His message for donors who support patient care at MSH is one of appreciation. “I extend my sincere gratitude to all donors and want them to know their support really makes a difference, especially when it comes to patient care.”

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