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Jenna Atchison hadn’t expected to land in CHEO’s Critical Care Transport Team. A nurse drawn to the high-stakes world of emergency care; she spent eight years in CHEO’s Emergency Department before discovering the world of pediatric transport.
“I didn’t even know there was such a thing,” she said. “But as soon as I heard about it, I turned to my colleague and told her, ‘I’m going to be on that team someday.’”
Less than a year later, that pledge became a reality.
“I remember my first trip, sitting on a plane heading to pick up a patient up north. I just knew it was where I was supposed to be,” said Jenna. “It felt right.”
Jenna is a registered nurse (RN) on the Critical Care Transport Team. The team is made up of RNs and respiratory therapists trained to stabilize and transport Ontario’s most vulnerable pediatric patients. Using land ambulances, helicopters and airplanes, they cover a vast area of 440,000 km², reaching remote locations like Attawapiskat – which is the same distance from Ottawa as Prince Edward Island.
In 2023 alone, they traveled 93,000 kilometers — equivalent to circling the globe 2.3 times — and provided care for 463 children.
"Transport is unpredictable and that’s what keeps it exciting,” Jenna said. “You don’t know where you’re going or what kind of situation you’ll be stepping into."
As a transport RN, Jenna is trained for an expanded nursing role, performing procedures that she wouldn’t normally be able to behind the hospital walls.
“Our nurse role is expanded in transport. We intubate, insert chest tubes and perform advanced procedures,” she said. “We’re the eyes of the physicians at CHEO, keeping them updated as we go.”
No two days look the same in pediatric transport. In some shifts, the team may be out until 2 a.m. after non-stop transfers. Other days, there might be only one call.
“One day you’re picking up a baby from a hospital across the street and the next you’re on a plane to bring a critically ill child back from northern Ontario,” she said.“Every day is different, and we just roll with whatever comes our way.”
Over the last year, Jenna has transitioned into an educator role.
“I still pick up shifts here and there, but now my day mostly involves managing logistics,” she said.
“For instance, today, I’m making sure the night team was prepared after a late return, coordinating the day team heading to Toronto and preparing for upcoming transports.”
Jenna’s connection to CHEO goes way back.
“CHEO’s been there for my family, from small injuries to major surgeries. Now, I get to give back in my own way -- helping parents and families through what’s literally one of the worst days of their lives.”