Overnight recovery nursing · Toronto & GTA
I'm JoAnne, a Registered Nurse with 27 years in the ICU and 14 years recovering plastic surgery patients in Toronto. I stay awake beside you through the night your surgeon worries about most, so you can sleep.
JoAnne Gomez, RN
27+ years ICU · 14+ years plastic surgery recovery
"What if something goes wrong at 3am?"
That's the hour I'm trained for. Twelve years in a Level 1 trauma ICU means I recognize a bleed, a breathing problem or a blood pressure drop long before it looks like an emergency, and I know exactly when your surgeon needs the call.
"I don't want my mom seeing me like this."
You don't have to ask anyone to empty your drains, help you to the toilet or see you in a compression garment. I've done this thousands of times and nothing about your body or your surgery is new to me.
"Will this ruin my result?"
The first 24 hours set up everything that follows. Fluids, medication timing, drain output, garment position, the first walk. Getting those right protects the result you paid for and the money you spent on it.
Hour by hour
This is the timeline I follow from the moment you're discharged until your surgeon's office opens the next morning.
HOUR 0 · PICKUP
I read your surgeon's written post-op orders in front of the nurse discharging you, confirm your medication list and drain count, and get you into the car safely. No handoff gets lost.
HOURS 1–4 · HIGHEST RISK
Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, pain score. This is when a hematoma announces itself and when anesthesia nausea peaks. I get ahead of both instead of reacting to them.
HOURS 4–8 · SETTLING IN
I get you up for the first time with hands on you, so you don't faint on a bathroom floor. Drains stripped and measured. Fluids started slowly. Anti-nausea medication timed before the pain medication, not after it.
OVERNIGHT · YOU SLEEP, I DON'T
Medications land on schedule, which means you wake up comfortable instead of waking up in pain and chasing it. I'm checking your breathing, your garment, your position and your drains all night. Family members go to bed.
MORNING · HANDOVER
You get a full chart of the night: vitals, drain volumes, medication times, intake and output. Your surgeon's office gets a clinical picture instead of "she said she felt okay." Whoever takes over from me gets taught what to watch for.
What I recover
Every procedure has its own risks in the first 24 hours. Care is built around yours, not a generic checklist.
Abdominoplasty means drains, a flexed sleeping position and a genuine risk of clots. I manage drain output hour by hour, keep you positioned correctly, and get your ankles moving before you're allowed to be still for too long.
After a Brazilian butt lift you can't sit or lie on your back, and getting that wrong costs you fat survival. I position you, protect the graft, watch your breathing after sedation and handle every transfer.
Circumferential lipo drains fluid heavily overnight and can drop your blood pressure. I track soakage, keep your fluids balanced, manage the compression garment and watch for the lightheadedness that puts patients on the floor.
Combination surgery means longer anesthesia, more drains and more pain than any single procedure. It's also the group most likely to have young children at home. I take the entire night so your household doesn't have to.
Facial surgery needs blood pressure kept down, the head elevated, cold applied correctly and constant watching for swelling that isn't symmetrical. A rising blood pressure at 2am is a problem I catch early.
Flying into Toronto for surgery means no home support and a hotel room nobody is checking on. I cover the overnight window in your room and make sure you're stable enough to fly before you go to the airport.
Who is with you
Agencies send whoever is available. You meet a stranger at the door on the worst night of your recovery. That's not how this works. You speak with me before you book, I learn your procedure and your surgeon's preferences ahead of time, and I'm the person who shows up.
My name is JoAnne Gomez. I've been a Registered Nurse for 27 years. Twelve of those were in the Trauma-Neuro ICU at St. Michael's Hospital, a Level 1 trauma centre, with earlier years in the Medical-Surgical ICU at Toronto Western Hospital and UHN. That background is why I don't panic and why I notice things early.
For the last 14 years I've worked in plastic surgery post-operative recovery at a Toronto cosmetic surgery clinic. I recover these patients every week. I know what surgeons here want, how their drains are managed, how their garments go on, and what a normal first night looks like compared to one that needs a phone call.
I hold a Critical Care Nursing Certificate from Humber College, a nursing diploma from George Brown College, and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from the University of Nebraska. I've written two books published on Amazon: Burnout to Balance and Stronger Than You Think. My registration is current and unrestricted, and you can check it yourself any time on the CNO Registry.
What it costs
Your cost depends on your procedure, what time you're discharged and how many hours you need covered. I give you the full number after a short conversation, so nothing on the invoice surprises you.
Pickup from your clinic and the full overnight window through to morning
Vitals monitoring, drain care, medication timing and nausea management
A written record of the night for your surgeon
Teaching for whoever takes over from me the next day
No agency markup. You're paying a nurse directly, not a dispatch company taking a cut of her hourly rate.
No supply fees and no hidden charges. The number I quote is the number you pay.
Not covered by OHIP. Cosmetic recovery nursing is paid privately. Some extended health plans reimburse private duty nursing, so check your policy and I'll provide a receipt.
Nothing is owed until the booking is confirmed and we've agreed on the hours.
Or call (343) 301-5061 and I'll give you a number on the phone.
Patient experiences
Every review here was written by a patient or family member and confirmed with them before it was published.
"Having overnight care after my surgery gave me absolute peace of mind. JoAnne was exceptionally professional, monitored all my vitals and drain outputs seamlessly, and made sure I was comfortable every step of the way. I couldn't have imagined getting through the first night without her."
S.M.
Care date · August 2026
"The level of clinical expertise brought into our home was incredible. Managing post-operative recovery can feel difficult, but having an ICU-trained nurse by our side changed everything. Outstanding support and attention to detail."
D.K.
Care date · July 2026
"JoAnne was everything you'd want in a post-op nurse. She clearly knew what she was doing, answered every question, and somehow kept me laughing through the rough parts. My pain and nausea stayed manageable the whole time because she stayed on top of it. I felt genuinely cared for, not just checked on."
LL
Care date · June 2026
Recovered with me before?
If I looked after you or someone in your family, a few sentences below helps the next patient decide whether to spend her first night alone.
Share your experienceQuestions
Most Toronto surgeons require that you're not alone for the first 24 hours after a tummy tuck, 360 liposuction, BBL or any procedure done under general anesthesia. The first night is when hematoma, breathing problems, low blood pressure, nausea and fainting are most likely. A private recovery nurse monitors your vital signs, manages your drains and pain medication, and responds immediately if something changes while your surgeon's office is closed.
Yes. I provide continuous overnight nursing at your home, hotel or recovery suite anywhere in the GTA. I stay awake through the night monitoring vital signs, tracking drain output, timing medications, managing nausea and helping you get up safely the first time.
It depends on your procedure, your discharge time and how many hours you need covered. I quote one flat price for the whole night after a short conversation about your surgery, so you know the total before anything is booked. No agency markup, no supply fees and nothing added afterwards. Call or WhatsApp me at (343) 301-5061 and I'll give you the number on the spot.
I do. Stripping the tubing, emptying and measuring output, recording volumes for your surgeon, and watching for clots, blockage or early infection. Most patients find drains the most stressful part of recovery, and having a nurse handle them removes the guesswork. Before I leave, I teach whoever is staying with you how to do it.
Yes, and it's common for patients flying into Toronto for surgery. I provide discreet nursing in your hotel room, including overnight monitoring before you're cleared to fly home, and I follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions exactly.
A caregiver or personal support worker can bring you water and help you to the bathroom. A Registered Nurse can assess you. That means taking a full set of vitals and knowing what they mean, recognizing an expanding hematoma, judging whether your breathing is safe after anesthesia, managing opioid dosing and timing, and deciding when your surgeon needs to be called at 2am.
No. OHIP doesn't cover private duty nursing or cosmetic recovery care, so this is paid privately. Some extended health plans reimburse private duty nursing. Check your policy and I'll give you a receipt to submit.
Two to four weeks before your surgery date is ideal, especially for Friday operating days and the busy spring and December periods. If your surgery is sooner than that, send the request anyway. Cancellations happen and I'd rather tell you no than have you find out too late.
Yes. I follow your surgeon's written post-operative orders exactly and keep a written record of vitals, drain output, medication times and intake. That record goes to the office or comes with you to your first follow-up.
Yes. Care is provided by me, JoAnne Gomez, RN. Privacy, modesty and discretion are part of the service, and nothing about your surgery gets discussed with anyone.
Surgeons, clinics and concierges
If your patients need overnight coverage after combination cases, I take referrals directly and send you a written record of the night. Discreet, ICU-trained, and familiar with how Toronto clinics run their post-op protocols.
Book
I answer personally, usually the same day. Nothing is booked until we've spoken.
Last updated:
Toronto ProRN protects the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) of Ontario and applicable Canadian privacy law.
Only information necessary to provide safe nursing care is collected: your name, contact details, procedure, surgery date, recovery location and relevant medical history. Your information is never sold, shared or used for marketing, and clinical records are retained as required by the College of Nurses of Ontario.
To ask what information is held about you or to request its correction or deletion, email prorninc@gmail.com.
By requesting services from Toronto ProRN, operated by ProRN Inc., you agree to these terms. Services are private-pay and not covered by OHIP. Bookings are confirmed only after a direct conversation and are subject to nurse availability.
Care is provided under the written post-operative orders of your treating surgeon. Toronto ProRN does not prescribe, does not alter surgical plans, and does not replace your surgeon's care.
Cancellation terms are confirmed with you at the time of booking.
Content on this website is general information about post-operative recovery nursing and isn't medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always follow the specific post-operative instructions given by your surgeon or physician.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.