Meet Michelle Goodman, a nurse clinician dedicated to caring for vulnerable youth from birth to 18 years old. She works in the Youth Program Directorate to ensure that these youths have access to the appropriate health and social services. Deeply committed to the well-being of these vulnerable individuals, she approaches each case with empathy and respect, never judging and always giving her time freely.
Ms. Goodman, what is your educational background?
“I wanted to become a veterinarian and moved to Arizona, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in sciences. At that time, I had intended to remain in the United States permanently.
After we married, my husband and I came back to live in Québec. I also shifted my career plans toward nursing. I graduated from McGill University in 1995, and my eldest daughter was born while I was studying there.”
How did you begin your career in healthcare?
“I started working in the post-partum unit at the Jewish General Hospital in Montréal. I was working with mothers and their newborns, doing the needed follow-ups after they were discharged from the hospital. After that, I spent about three years in the private sector as a school nurse for at elementary schools and high schools. My teaching program varied according to the needs, and included nutrition, hygiene, introduction to sex education, and more. That was before the schools were paired with CLSC nurses.
In the early 2000s, I went to work at the Tiny Tots pediatric clinic on the West Island. The six years I spent there showed me that pediatrics is where I belong. I also worked as a nurse for youth summer camps at Mont Tremblant. Seven very rewarding years!
These were all part-time roles until my youngest child was in daycare.”
And how did you come to join our CIUSSS?
“Shortly before the creation of the CISSS and CIUSSS, I started working at the Medistat FMG in Pierrefonds, for which our CIUSSS is now responsible. In 2017, I made the difficult decision to leave that position and become a nurse clinician with the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres. For more than a year now, I have been the interim assistant to the immediate supervisor (ASI).”
What are your primary responsibilities?
“The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres care for two groups, children 0 to 5 years old, and youths aged 6 to 18 years old. The children are placed with foster families or live with their own families, whereas the youths in readaptation live in group homes or at one of our two facilities in Beaconsfield and Prévost.
As an ASI, I am there to support my nursing colleagues working with both groups. I also collaborate with the social workers and special care counsellors. Additionally, I am on call two days a week. On those days I am actively involved during signalements, assessments, and clinical decision-making.
With children 0 to 5 years old, I carry out medical assessments and vaccinations. While some cases may be in a period of transition, most follow-ups typically extend over a longer period. For youths 6 to 18 years old, I ensure their rights are protected, manage changes to medication, and carry out assessments and follow-ups, among other things. With them, contact is less frequent because they are attending school.”
What are your biggest challenges?
“The many stakeholders involved in youth placement don’t understand their health and social services needs. Access to services is often not prioritized. As nurses, even if we play a key role in the well-being of these youths, it is often difficult to get our objectives and recommendations heard.
Keeping my professional life and personal life separate is also a constant challenge, even though my experience has taught me to draw a line. It can still be hard to do. We need to set aside our cell phones and emails on our days off. Our manager strongly encourages us to do so.”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“Firstly, working with children. They are incredibly resilient, and I learn a great deal from them.
I’m also very fortunate to work with experienced nursing colleagues and two outstanding nurse practitioners who specialize in mental health and serve as consultants to our team. I also enjoy working as part of a multidisciplinary team. I find it really inspiring to share ideas with different professionals who are all focused on the well-being of children.”
Do you have a message to attract candidates to youth protection work?
“If you care about the well-being of babies, children, and teens, and enjoy working with them, you can truly make a difference! In this sector you can have a great deal of autonomy while also working as part of a multidisciplinary team. Not to mention that the nursing profession is always evolving.
Flexibility, open-mindedness, and mental resilience are essential qualities for this work.”
Ms. Goodman also agreed to tell us a little bit about her life outside work.
What should we know about you?
“I am the proud mother of three children, who are all adults now. My husband and I live in Town of Mount Royal. Our lives are centred on our family and friends.”
To relax, you…
“Working out is good for both the body and the mind. Walking, housekeeping, and cooking are also effective outlets.”
How do you enjoy a day off?
“No set plans—just hitting the gym, doing things around the house, cooking, and enjoying good wine with family and friends.”
“To really meet the needs of the young people in our care, we must look at them from different angles. Building healthy relationships with them takes good communication, respect, patience, trust, and keeping an open mind,” says Ms. Goodman, shown with one of her culinary creations.
“The youth we work with are very vulnerable. They often find it tough to be taken out of their living environment. We must protect them and keep them safe. But we also have to understand what they have gone through. They see the nurses are allies who are ready to defend them,” says Ms. Goodman, shown posing with her husband Riccardo.