registered nurse

registered practical nurse

technologist

support worker

unit clerk

Lakeridge Health

I've been around for over 5 years. The pandemic was used as an excuse for Management to make everything worse. Which made us lose a huge chunk of our staff.
Then the merger with Lakeridge Health happened. We were promised that DMHS will retain its culture. Now it's more of a hollow name that doesn't stand for anything. We used to be very much community mental health. But really we have become an extension of the hospital. We lost most of our original DMHS managers. The new ones that were brought in to replace them were all Lakeridge Health. So they also don't understand or know what our culture is, or was. Managers used to be diverse, now they're all token White People. 
I used to love my job, it got me out of bed every day. Now, it's just a paycheque for me. The culture has turned into very much "do more with less". Burn out is very real. Their solution right now is "let's make another committee" that doesn't actually do anything. Our new union are more concerned about stepping over toes, than actually improving anything.
When we started loosing managers, instead of replacing them. They just started having one manager do the role of maybe what used to be 3 or 4 managers roles. So good luck actually getting a hold of your manager when you need anything. We got funding to have a reasonable amount of managers, do a reasonable amounts of workloads, but it seems Lakeridge has chosen to pocket that money instead.
It's heartbreaking for me remembering how good things used to be, and how bad it is now by comparison.

- Day at Lake ridge is not that stressful because the workload is equally divided among-st the staff.Staring from rounds, checking every minute details of the patients, thereby conducting the session and lasting charting.

- I learnt variety of stuffs from approaching the patient, convincing them for treatment, handling the treatment, gathering respective equipment's and adjusting according to the patient and finally closing the treatment session.

- Management is very organized and systematic, as they have in depth knowledge about the condition (disease) and the current patient status. They are immediately present when given a call by the patient using a call bell.

- My co-workers are very motivating and believe in sharing their knowledge and guide me through each situation. They are easily available and do collaborate with me to achieve the goals.

- Hardest part of job is to convince patients for treatment(Sometimes they are aggressive) and manage patients with IV poles.

- The most enjoyable part of job is on completion of treatment session, when the patient's condition is improving and when they and their family appreciate and thank us with their blessings, I feel satisfied, when the patient smiles and is happy, I feel that my motto of serving the humanitarian is getting fulfilled. My morale is further boosted and i work even better with more energy and perseverance.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Free donated food weekly. A local organization donates leftovers from their shelter's kitchen to the nurses. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being looked down on by power-tripping, entitled clerks, doctors, nurses who snub those who aren't medical personnel. 
Demented, senile patients.
Random subjects police bring in for treatment, medical or mental health. Sometimes both. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Tense. Lots of revolving door with new hires quitting in less than two hours, two days at most.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Hypervigilance on arrival. Lots of transients sleeping on the property, in the doorways, hallways, at food court tables. 

Once inside, it's finding out the special data and assigned area placement of the day.

The rest is either boredom mixed with anxiety due to surprise events (erratic patients screaming for no reason, attempting to leave when they're not physically independent); the limited nursing staff being too busy to take their patients to the bathroom so guess who has to do that now; repeated demands for unattainable information.

As a Respiratory Therapist at Lakeridge Health, I provided critical care services across various departments, including the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, and Operating Room. My role involved managing mechanical ventilation, airway emergencies, and advanced respiratory therapies for both adult and pediatric populations. I collaborated closely with multidisciplinary teams to support high-acuity patients, respond to code blues, and assist with procedural sedation and intubations. I was also involved in patient and staff education, promoting best practices in respiratory care and infection control. Working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment sharpened my clinical judgment, adaptability, and communication skills. I regularly contributed to quality improvement initiatives and helped optimize patient care pathways through evidence-based interventions. My time at Lakeridge Health strengthened my leadership in frontline care, my commitment to patient safety, and my ability to support innovation and team-based approaches in a dynamic healthcare setting. Although management isn't very supportive 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Fellow peers at the same level were a pleasure to work with.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
8 days off or less in a year is HR's policy. Only 8 days... during a pandemic... with kids?!? Good luck. Attendance is more important that work ethic. Company would rather oust a amazing worker than treat them according to their conditions. Adds unnecessary stress.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment is hectic but to be expected. Culture is very dictator like. Management does not treat their staff fairly and rarely give them a chance to speak up. Changes in task schedules occur and usually do not make the work more efficient. If management listened to the workers doing the work they would reach their goals in a more professional inclusive way. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Show up on time.
Go for break on time.
Leave on time. 
And in between, do work that makes no sense to you as the end user because your management makes changes and don't know the job well enough.

I am grateful to be working as a Clinical Extern, however, it made me realize Lakeridge Health cares really little about their employee’s satisfaction. Depending on some units, they treat you like you are a PSW rather than a nursing student that is trying to learn new skills. 

From my experience if you ask for a transfer in a different unit to learn new skills, they will take months to assist you. They also use managerial and planning excuses as to why they cannot accommodate your requests. Which obviously are not your issue to start with.

This job is only good for making more than minimum wage. Otherwise, if your stuck in a unit you see no passion in, be warn to just being a clinical extern that does PSW work and making less money than a PSW. Workload can also be excessive due to understaffing.

As a future RN, from this experience I will not be considering committing to an unorganized, untrustworthy and disobliging organization like Lakeridge Health.

Working at Lakeridge Oshawa is truly rewarding because of the incredible team and staff. The environment is built on collaboration, respect, and genuine support for one another. Everyone—from nurses and technologists to administrative staff and physicians—works together with a shared goal of providing the best possible patient care. The teamwork here makes even the busiest days manageable and uplifting. Colleagues are approachable, willing to help, and always ready to share knowledge or lend a hand. It feels like a close-knit community where communication flows easily, and achievements are celebrated collectively. New staff quickly feel welcomed and valued, which fosters trust and confidence. The strong sense of unity and professionalism across departments creates a positive atmosphere that motivates everyone to do their best. It’s the kind of workplace where teamwork isn’t just encouraged—it’s the foundation of everything that makes Lakeridge Oshawa a great place to work.

Typical evening shift at my work  was to get report on the patients i would be looking after  or of the floor if i was in charge  
I would then take vitals of all my patients  assessing their comfort level if they needed any medication for pain  
Check on any lab work that came back and contact physicians if needed to
Prepared the supper medication  and did rounds to get patient up that were to get up  
Checked wound dressings  IV   or assist younger staff where needed    
I learned that team work means one has to work has a team when one of your team  is struggling you lend a hand  
I loved working with all my coworkers  management as well they were a great team   
Most enjoyable part of the job  well seeing my patients get well or smile  or when they say they were glad i was back   I whistled i sang  and it made the patient less anxious and they would not be afraid to ring the bell.

Arrive at 6:30 and assist with organization of meds. Assist those who cannot eat on their own, wash or dress on their own and attend bathroom needs. Clean various areas and prepare for family to arrive for visits. Various duties that are required (confidential).

Attend daily meetings on progress and further treatment.

The management was for me, the doctor and he was efficient, loving and caring. He cried when he was able to release a patient. We all did. 

The nurses and staff were excellent. They knew the difficulty the patients and their family and staff were experiencing and put in a great team effort.

The hardest part was the difficulty of seeing the patients deteriorate.

The most enjoyable part was seeing the one patient who was released and we were so happy we all cried, great day.

I enjoyed working at Lakeridge Health, and found the staff to be excellent and very professional. Unfortunately, if you are wanting to work for Lakeridge, the chances are slim to none for most nurses I hear. (this from an educator)

I have reapplied several times myself, for a variety of nursing positions, and have heard absolutely nothing back. Maybe you would have more luck as a new grad, as everything appears to be geared that way. Perhaps older nurses, however good at what they do, just have a harder time finding work in today's Ontario. 

I don't know, but if you are one of the lucky ones to be hired, (as with any job in this dying western economy of ours), hold on to the job like grim death!

Good luck!

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Registered nurse 280 salaries reported	$48.84 per hour
Registered practical nurse 237 salaries reported	$37.44 per hour
Technologist 51 salaries reported	$41.23 per hour
Support worker 33 salaries reported	$31.09 per hour
Unit clerk 44 salaries reported	$29.25 per hour

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