In every language and every way, we’re sending gratitude and appreciation to our One Amazing Team today and every day!
March 4, 2022
This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he recognizes National Employee Appreciation Day and takes a moment to share his immense gratitude for each of you. Read More
March 3, 2022
In accordance with Texas Children’s COVID-19 booster requirement, please see below. To reference a listing of common questions, please reference our FAQ.
- Requirement. Unless an approved exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine has already been granted, all full-time, part-time and per diem employees, as well as medical staff, contractors, on-site vendors and volunteers, are required to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Deadlines. The deadline to meet this requirement, and have proof of your booster dose verified by Employee Health, is 5 p.m. on April 1, 2022. All employees are encouraged to receive their booster as quickly as possible to ensure the most robust level of protection and to allow enough time for verification.
- Submitting proof. Click here to access our digital assistant and select “Submit Proof of Vaccination.” Follow the prompts and insert any relevant information. Once prompted, you must upload an image of your vaccination record. Please be aware of the following:
- Employees are encouraged to submit a picture of their CDC Vaccination card, MyChart record or other proof of vaccination.
- Please ensure you complete the form by answering all the required questions. Please do not skip questions.
- Please ensure that all writing on your proof of vaccination is legible and that your full legal name and birth date are also included.
- A Word or PDF document cannot be utilized. A picture of your vaccine record must be utilized.
- If you have lost your vaccination card, click here for instructions.
- How to schedule a booster. To schedule through Texas Children’s, please click here. Walk-ins are also welcome. Boosters can also be received outside of Texas Children’s.
- Exemptions. If you are planning to apply for a medical exemption from receiving a booster dose, click here to access our exemption form (your request must also include a physician’s note). If you have other concerns (not medically related) to receiving a booster dose, please contact Employee Relations at employeerelations@texaschildrens.org.
- Questions? For questions related to boosters, please reach out to our COVID Vaccine Employee Support Center at 832-VACCINE (832.822.2463), open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Team members can also email at employeevaccines@texaschildrens.org.
Raquel Mercado has tried on many different hats over her 33 years of service. These different roles have taught her adaptability and the power of teamwork while keeping to her initial passion of caring for others. Read more
Houston Chronicle 2022 Salute to Nurses call for nominations is now open. This is a great opportunity to recognize an outstanding nurse who demonstrates excellence in nursing. Anyone can nominate a nurse, so please share the linked pictured flyer with your colleagues, patients, families, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.
The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 11. To submit a nomination, click here or visit Chron.com/SaluteToNurses
Please contact Denine Moody at dmmoody@texaschildrens.org or send an email to Salutetonurses@chron.com with questions.
March is a month for recognizing and celebrating women at home and around the world; reveling in the triumph of good over evil and the advent of Spring; and supporting people with developmental disabilities in achieving independence and full integration into their communities. Click here to learn more.
Is there a cultural observance this month that has special meaning to you? We want to hear about it! Send a note to Texas Children’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team via e-mail.
You can also learn more about Texas Children’s DEI commitment on our website, which features a plethora of resources and engaging team member stories to watch, read and explore.
Nursing Professional Development, in partnership with the Nursing Department and Evidence Based Practice and Research Council, launched a new nursing professional development program to Texas Children’s Hospital – Student Nurse Grand Rounds. The goal of this innovative program is to connect with the student nurse community and faculty to engage them in our work for the profession of nursing, to create community outreach, promote a pipeline for nurses and ensure a program to continuously meet our Magnet® elements for external audience presentations. “Extending and fostering our relationship with our school partners via student nurse grand rounds is an exciting way to engage our future workforce and prepare them for their transition to practice also while showcasing some of our new research and expertise,” says Jessica B. Ramirez, MBA, BSRC, RRT, Program Administrator for the Office of Student Affiliations.
The Inaugural Student Nurse Grand Rounds was held on January 27, with Stacy McMonigle, BSN, RN, and Karen Gibbs, MSN/MPH, RN, PHNA-BC, CPN, presenting Stronger Belief in Evidence-Based Practice is Associated with More Implementation and Higher Perceived Competency Among Pediatric and Obstetric Nurses. “Research coursework can be very challenging in baccalaureate nursing programs and often times is only discussed in theory rather than in practice,” says Karen Gibbs on the importance of presenting her topic to student nurses. “During our Student Nurse Grand Rounds, we were able to describe our research to student nurses and give them an opportunity to see how we use research to help inform our own practice.”
Stacy McMonigle described her experience as an inaugural student nurse grand round speaker:
“As a staff nurse, it was an honor to have the opportunity to speak at the inaugural student nurse grand rounds. To be able to present the research we have been working on, not only to our fellow colleagues at Texas Children’s, but also to local nursing students, was an incredible experience and opportunity to connect with our surrounding community. I think that often there is not awareness among nursing students and new graduates that staff nurses, even new ones, are able to engage and participate in evidence-based practice and research projects while in a direct patient care role. I hope our presentation highlighted that ability, the importance of evidence-based practice and research in the role of all nurses, as well as opportunities to get more formally involved, such as participation in our Evidence-Based Practice and Research shared governance council here at Texas Children’s.”
Student Nurse Grand Rounds not only served as a platform to engage nursing students, but also provided contact hours for nurses to maintain licensure through the Accredited Provider Program. “The value of providing nursing continuing professional development contact hours to student faculty and staff fosters collaboration and professional development across academia to practice,” says Amanda Garey, Ph.D., MSN, RN, NPDA-BC, C-EFM, Accredited Provider Program Director.
The next Student Grand Rounds will be held in May 2022.