May 18, 2021

It’s hard to contain the celebration of nursing to just one week at Texas Children’s – every day there are inspirational stories that demonstrate how our nurses go above and beyond for the patients and families in our care, ensuring the best possible experience and outcomes.

Still, Texas Children’s Nursing Retention Council planned a series of events this month for National Nurses Week 2021 and partnered with our chaplains and Employee Well-Being to offer virtual activities, such as Blessing of the Hands and self-care sessions.

From May 6-12, the council offered a variety of ways for nurses to feel celebrated, recognized and appreciated for their hard work, dedication and resilience. For Show Your Pride Day, nurses wore their favorite t-shirts representing a different theme each day: College Pride Day, Disney Magic Day, Sports Team Day and Texas Children’s/Unit Pride Day. Many nurses also enjoyed the grab-and-go breakfast and late-night ice cream treats, among other activities.

Awards and Recognitions

As part of Nurses Week, Texas Children’s recognized our Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses honorees, one of whom was honored among Greater Houston’s Top 15 Nurses of the Year. In addition, 44 nurses were named Texas Association of Nurses District 9 Nursing Heroes. To learn more about these recipients, click here.

As a finale for the week, the 2021 Nursing Excellence Award honorees received recognition for their commitment to improving nursing care and patient outcomes. With a traditional in-person event on hold for COVID-19, winners were celebrated at a live virtual ceremony hosted by Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Ward. To view photos from the ceremony, view below.

Scholarships

Established in memory of Molly Mae, a beloved, former patient at Texas Children’s, the Molly Mae LeBlanc Nursing Scholarship provides tuition assistance to patient care assistants (PCAs) and RNs who are pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in Nursing. Congratulations to our 2021 recipients, who were honored during Nurses Week:

  • Susan Arriaga is a medical assistant at the Women’s Clinic in The Woodlands. She started at Texas Children’s in 2020. She is enrolled in the Lonestar College BSN program and plans to graduate in May 2025.
  • Brittany Walters is clinical nurse coordinator for the International and Destination Medicine department. She has worked at Texas Children’s since 2014. She plans to virtually attend the Case Management Society of America’s annual conference this summer.
  • Trisha Woodson is a staff nurse in the Surgical/Orthopedic acute care unit at the Main campus. She has been with Texas Children’s since 2008. She is enrolled in the University of Texas at Arlington MSN program and plans to graduate in June 2023.

As the 2021 recipients of the David and Polly Roth Nursing Education Scholarship, these team members honored during Nurses Week will receive tuition assistance for pursuing professional nursing and BSN degrees. Established by Dr. David Roth and his wife, Polly, the first scholarship was awarded in 2017 and is dedicated to Texas Children’s employees in certain roles, including PCAs and medical assistants.

  • Crystal Hanna is a patient care assistant in the Float Pool at West Campus. She joined Texas Children’s in 2016. She is enrolled in the Western Governors BSN program and anticipates graduation in 2023.
  • Chasity Johnson is a patient care assistant in the CVICU at Main Campus, and has been with Texas Children’s since 2015. She is enrolled in the Western Governors BSN program and plans to graduate in 2023.
  • Emma Robinson is a pharmacy tech at the Main Campus. She joined Texas Children’s in 2016. She is enrolled in the University of Texas at Arlington BSN program and is expected to graduate in December 2021.

Texas Children’s also honored this Nurses Week the 2021 recipients of the Len Slusser Nursing Scholarship. The scholarship provides tuition assistance to Texas Children’s registered nurses who are pursuing an advanced nursing degree (Doctor of Nursing Practice or Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing), or financial assistance to registered nurses to attend a professional nursing conference.

  • Sadaf Abbas is a patient care manager at the West Campus PACU and has been with Texas Children’s since 2016. She is enrolled in the Capella University PhD program and plans to graduate in 2024.
  • Nhi Hoang is a staff nurse in The Woodlands PACU. She joined Texas Children’s in 2017 and plans to virtually attend the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Annual Conference this summer.

To view a photo gallery featuring all of our 2021 nursing scholarship winners, view below.

Nursing Excellence Award ceremony
Nursing scholarship winners

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Texas Children’s Global Health partners at the Area 25 Health Centre in Malawi planted giant bamboo seedlings in its permaculture garden to recognize Earth Day, and to celebrate the lasting connections between human and environmental health.

An average of 20 babies are delivered each day at the health centre in the Malawian capital city of Lilongwe, where Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine launched a Global Women’s Health program in 2012 in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Malawi and Baylor Foundation Malawi.

With a lack of access to health care services and limited resources in many settings, Malawian women experience 675 deaths per 100,000 live births; in the United States, the ratio is 14 deaths per 100,000 births. Texas Children’s Global Health is working to improve the odds for Malawian moms through transformative programs that benefit thousands of women and babies.

One such effort is the Permaculture Program at Area 25, which focuses on establishing a safe, nurturing environment for all patients receiving care at the facility – particularly pregnant women staying at the maternity waiting home. The vibrant permaculture garden is designed as a human-centered landscape, and based on a system of sustainable agriculture that promotes harmony with the local environment and natural ecosystems.

For Earth Day, Malawi Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources Nancy Tembo and U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Robert Scott joined health centre officials in the permaculture garden for a symbolic planting of giant bamboo. They also distributed seedlings to patients, which they’ve done for more than 3 years.

The distribution supports environmental stewardship by creating a relationship between the mother, her child and the seedlings she takes home. As the child grows, so do the plants, providing the family with new sources of food and firewood.

“The symbolic planting of the bamboos is a manifestation of the ministry’s commitment to healing the earth, using bamboo as a candidate species for landscape restoration and improved livelihoods,” Tembo said after the event.

Through the USAID Agricultural Diversification Project, the permaculture garden at Area 25 also supports nutrition and productivity. The space is a demonstration site for soya milk and mini drip kits, as well as drip irrigation and distribution of PICS bags to patients that allow for storage of grains without the use of insecticide.

Texas Children’s Global Health Network is the largest provider of pediatric HIV care in the world, with an expanded scope that also includes tuberculosis, malnutrition, Sickle Cell Disease, oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, surgery, anesthesiology and maternal health.

Once your team reaches a 75% vaccination rate, you’re automatically eligible to win some of the hottest electronics on the market – just like these recipients. Read more

Life is busy, especially more so during the pandemic. As we continue to navigate our reconstructed future, it is more important than ever to keep healthy and strong for ourselves, and our families and friends.

As part of our commitment to your total well-being, Texas Children’s Employee Health and Well-Being teams have organized a variety of programs and resources around Women’s Health Month to help refresh your focus on your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Watch for more on Connect.

This week, we are focusing on your mental well-being.

Work-life satisfaction: Take advantage of EAP Plus, the enhanced Employee Assistance Program, available to all employees and their eligible dependents. In addition to round-the-clock access to counseling services by phone and referrals to qualified mental health providers in the community, EAP Plus provides legal guidance, financial information and unlimited work-life solutions to help you take care of tasks such as planning a party, securing child or elder care, arranging home repairs and more. Call 833.EAP.PLUS 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to connect with a certified counselor, or visit the EAP Plus website and enter EAPPLUS as the Organization Web ID.

Virtual Mental Health Care: Taking care of your mental health can help you live a happier, healthier, and more productive life. Cigna now offers the following options:

  • Behavioral and mental health virtual care via MDLive, where you can talk privately with a licensed counselor or psychiatrist via video or phone anywhere and anytime. You can also have a prescription sent directly to your local pharmacy, if needed. Please note there will be a co-pay. To learn more about MDLive click here.
  • Talkspace, an online therapy platform where you are able to hold sessions with a licensed behavioral therapist from anywhere, at any time. Please note there will be a co-pay. Once you are matched with a therapist, you can message each other to schedule your session. For additional information on Talkspace, click here.
  • Meru Health offers a 12-week virtual counseling program that includes daily chat support from a licensed therapist, a biofeedback device, anonymous peer and psychiatrist support, mindfulness practices, and habit-changing activities for sleep, nutrition, and more – accessed anytime and anywhere. Click here to learn more.

After winning the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing, the following team members tell us why they stepped up to be vaccinated and hope to inspire others.

Wilena Grayer – 5.9 years of service
Coding Quality Assurance Specialist III – HIM Coding
I chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine to continue to protect me, as well as my family. I had 7 family members to catch COVID and I was in close contact with them, but I never got infected. Their serious of illness ranged from hospitalization on respiratory assistance to 14-day quarantine. Seeing the true COVID residual effects first hand, I chose to be safe and protect myself and those I love by getting the vaccine. I hope others choose to do the same.

Erin Psencik – 12.3 years of service
Occupational Therapist – Inpatient
I chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect not only myself and my family, but the patient and families that I treat. It was a humbling experience during both my first and second dose to know that I was doing my part to help stop the spread of this virus. Thank you Texas Children’s Hospital!

Angela Anderson – 5.9 years of service
Service Coordinator – Social Work
Honestly, initially I was against getting the vaccine, but after doing my own research and talking with family about it I decided it was best to get the vaccine. I am glad I was able to do my part for my family, my community and my world.

To date, 80 percent of our workforce has volunteered to be vaccinated against COVID-19. If you haven’t already, schedule your vaccination appointment now; simply click here and sign up for the date and time that works best for your schedule.

This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he celebrates the groundbreaking of Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin, and why this marks a new hope for generations to come. Read more