People of KHSC: Curtis Gray

Dressed in a yellow personal protective equipment gown, nurse Curtis Gray likes to laugh with the patients he sees in the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) about them having a banana for their nurse.

“I believe laughter and humour have a place in medicine. Even when people come to the hospital feeling ill, laughter helps relieve some patients’ fears and can help them become more comfortable with the people caring for them.

“Before humour comes patience. The biggest thing I can give to people is a moment of my time. It is not uncommon for people to be frustrated or act out of character while in the UCC due to their stress. Actively listening to the concerns patients have when they are in a vulnerable place goes a long way, and depending on the situation, adding in a joke or two can alleviate some stress.” 

When a same-day appointment with a family doctor isn’t available, the UCC, located at Kingston Health Science Centre’s Hotel Dieu Hospital site, is designed to attend to urgent health concerns that need to be addressed within 24 hours, such as minor broken bones and burns, and cuts needing stitches. On average, more than 100 people are seen by the UCC team each day.

Curtis thrives in a dynamic environment, in fact, he says his childhood home was a lot like the UCC.

“I grew up in a busy house with an open-door policy for anyone. It was not uncommon to come home and not see a familiar face on anyone sitting in our living room. Knowing that they were there though meant either help or support was needed. This supportive, inclusive environment led me to want to work with people at their highest of highs and lowest of lows – working in urgent care gives me this experience on a daily basis.”  

As a nurse working in the UCC’s fast-paced, high-patient-turnover environment where patients are not usually known to the health-care providers and it’s possible to encounter a wide range of health concerns, Curtis says “It’s important to take one step at a time. Going into all situations with new perspectives that come from everyone on the team, regardless if someone has worked with us for weeks or decades, leads to great outcomes for patients.”

Sometimes people attend the UCC with non-urgent concerns that could have been addressed elsewhere and then there are times when people are at the UCC with life-threatening conditions and need to be transferred to the emergency department. To help you go to the right place for the right care, visit RightPlaceRightCare.ca.