May 2023 – Page 2 – Texas Children's News

May 22, 2023

Grief and loss are two unfortunate inevitabilities of life. In an organization of thousands of employees, it is easy to think no one will understand our feelings and experiences, often leading to further isolation. The truth is, many of us are walking the same path and want nothing more than to connect.

While rounding during the holiday season, Workforce Chaplain Tuba Alpat saw this need firsthand and decided to put together a support group for employees experiencing grief and loss. In just one week, all available spots were filled. The people who signed up were dealing with situations ranging from divorce, to the loss of a child, to the death of a parent, but they were unified in their need for a safe space to process and speak without judgement.

A Path to Healing

Tabatha Gabriel, a Medical Staff Coordinator, had lost her mother 18 years before but realized after all this time, she needed to grieve the things she was not able to experience with her and the milestones they would not share together. “When someone leaves a mark on your life like that, how could they be replaced? How could you find a band aid for that?” she said. The grief support group helped her talk about her experience freely and to realize that grief is not just death, grief is losing, period. Tabatha says the group created a pathway for people to be comfortable with themselves and “speak to the questionable areas of their lives they thought were healed.” More than anything, she was grateful to know she was not alone.

Having lost her father over the Christmas holiday, Ambulatory Staff Nurse, Laura Johnson’s wounds were far from healed. However, she described a similar sense of surprising camaraderie. “Listening to people who were basically going through the exact same thing was comforting and helped me realize even though we are all super different, we are all the same when it comes to certain things in our lives,” Laura explained. The grief support group was there to help her work through the sadness, anger and feelings of abandonment, showing her there is no shame in how you feel about anything. She described how the group helped her not to bottle her emotions. When something triggers a wave of sadness, she lets it come and then lets it pass.

Texas Children’s wants to help you nurture your mental health

Sensitive subjects like grief and loss can be difficult to talk about, but they don’t need to be. “We know everyone grieves differently and that grief is a natural way of living your emotions. However, sometimes grief can feel too heavy and make you feel stuck,” explained Tuba. The grief support group filled a need for these team members, and it is just one of many resources available if you or someone you know is struggling. Call EAP or reach out to a Workforce Spiritual Chaplain at 832-824-3327 if you need support. You can also call EAP Plus for assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 833-327-7587. For Baylor employees, call 800-622-7276. Please find additional resources on the Spiritual Well-Being SharePoint page.

Additionally, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Workforce Well-Being team has many resources, events and activities available to nurture your mental well-being. Click here for the full schedule and list of resources.

“Take yourself seriously, take your mental health seriously,” advises Laura. “Listen to that inner voice and take the time. You are not alone.”

Appreciative parents submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist Adam Malin.

“Adam went above and beyond to make us as parents feel well informed and comfortable during our daughter’s EEG. He met us in the lobby to give us updates before, informed us thoroughly of everything that was going to happen before the procedure and talked to us anytime anything was going to happen during. He was patient with our 11-month-old, showed so much kindness and overall showed he 100% cares about his patients. Afterwards he went out of his way to walk us to our next appointment site. Made everything stress free and a great start to our long day of appointments.”

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact every day. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

May 16, 2023

The more we know, the more we understand, the more we connect. Click to read this month’s DEI update. Read More

May 15, 2023

Colorado State University’s hurricane experts are predicting a slightly below average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to the likely development of El Niño. Of the 13 named storms, they expect six to become hurricanes and two to reach major hurricane strength.

It appears La Niña has ended and water temperatures in the tropical Pacific are steadily warming. The current forecast is for an 82% chance of an El Niño this summer/fall, up from 61% in the March forecast. El Niño is becoming much more likely, which would typically result in below-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin. Click here to learn more about these climate patterns.

While experts are predicting a less active season, we still need to be prepared and cannot get complacent. You should consider restocking or buying needed supplies and creating a preparedness plan. There are multiple online resources available to help:

Employee Disaster Roster (EDR) Enrollment is Open

All team members must re-register annually for the Employee Disaster Roster – electing to be part of the Prep Team, Ride-Out Team and/or Relief Team. Details for each team are listed in the form, and you should work with your leader to agree on the appropriate role for you. Note, if you’re on the ride-out team, you can use this easy checklist to pack your at-work disaster bag with 5-7 days of essential supplies.

With suicide being the 2nd leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, we at Texas Children’s understand many of our team members have been directly impacted by suicide and the rising mental health crisis. However you may have encountered suicide, whether working with patients and families or navigating situations at home and within your communities, we want you to know you are not alone, and there are people and resources here for you.

In September 2022, Texas Children’s partnered with the Zero Suicide Institute to host a Zero Suicide Academy, leading the charge for a system-wide cultural shift committed to reducing suicide. This framework aims to ensure we provide the highest quality of care for those struggling with suicide ideation, attempt and loss. Through this process, the need was identified to create a robust pipeline to ensure our staff has the necessary tools, resources and trainings to provide the quality of care necessary for these mental concerns.

Texas Children’s is proud to announce the launch of the Suicide Prevention SharePoint site, also accessible under the Connect Resources tab. This site is a centralized location for our team members to learn, educate and access resources to address suicide care. The Suicide Prevention SharePoint covers seven themes: System of Care, Infrastructure, Training, Research, Resources, Community and Religion. The site and its assets are for everyone at Texas Children’s; our patients and their families, as well as our staff (both Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine) and their loved ones.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, attempt or loss, please contact EAP at 832-824-3327 or EAP@texaschildrens.org. For urgent, after-hours needs please call 832-824-2099 and ask to page EAP. You can also visit the Suicide Prevention SharePoint site for resources and assistance.

To celebrate Nurses Week (May 6-12), we’re taking a moment to recognize our more than 4,000 nurses across the Texas Children’s system and pay tribute to their countless contributions to patients, their families, and the nursing profession.

“Each year during Nurses Week, we celebrate nurses for their service and dedication,” said Patient Care Services Director Juanna Brandon. “Nursing Retention Council takes pride in providing a week full of memorable events and activities to acknowledge their hard work.”

Nurses Week 2023 festivities include fun daily themes, an engaging scavenger hunt for a special prize, and 10-minute chair massage sessions at all campuses. Nurses are also invited to swing by one of the grab-and-go breakfasts, which feature well-being succulent planting activities and a blessing of the hands. Click here to see the full lineup of Nurses Week events.

2023 Nursing Excellence Awards

One of the hallmarks of Nurses Week at Texas Children’s is the annual Nursing Excellence Awards. This year, recipients were celebrated during a special awards ceremony hosted by System Chief Nurse Executive Jackie Ward.

“Our awards program was designed to identify and celebrate nurses who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their nursing care delivery, and to recognize one of our friends that has demonstrated unparalleled partnership and support of our vision for nursing,” said Ward. “Please join me in congratulating them!”

Read on for more information about each Nursing Excellence Award recipient, including excerpts from their nominations.

Staff Nurse of the Year: Chloe Smith (Staff Nurse, Radiology)
“As an MRI nurse coordinator, she is constantly communicating with the interdisciplinary team. An outpatient was scheduled for three diagnostic studies and three combined procedures, which would require four attendings, three location changes and two separate scanners. The patient was traveling from eight hours away and may not get every exam they needed after traveling so far. She partnered with her fellow staff members and was very instrumental in getting all procedures completed ahead of schedule through strong communication.”
Nurse Resident of the Year: Virginia Hoffmann (Staff Nurse, Legacy Tower CICU)
“The Cardiac ICU can be a challenging place to begin your career as a nurse as the environment is extremely fast-paced and our patients can be very sick. Because of this, most graduate nurses experience lapses in confidence at various points throughout their orientation, and she was no exception to those days. What impressed me most was how she managed those times when her confidence waned. She worked even harder. She asked more questions. She leaned on her preceptors for support. She trusted the process and completed her orientation. Since then, she has thrived on our unit.”
Nurse Preceptor of the Year: Rodney Witt (Staff Nurse, The Woodlands EC)
“Some preceptors just focus on their way and make sure you’re able to do the task. He explained not only how to do the task, but also the importance of the task, as well as other key knowledge points to know to ensure the safety of our patients. He would be one of the top picks for me to choose as a nurse to care for my family, and there is a sense of calmness and ease when working alongside him.”
Nurse Leader of the Year: Jasmine Sammons (Assistant Clinical Director, PFW NICU)
“She is the definition of a transformational leader who encourages diverse thinking amongst her staff, encompasses an unselfish mindset and cultivates a culture of trust within the unit. She has given staff back their autonomy and consistently includes us in the decision making. She has made an indelible mark on our unit through her presence, communication style, and her upfront and honest nature. She has worked hard to transform our unit into one that is sought out by others, as evidenced by the current list of people wanting to transfer into PFW NICU. She truly lives the core values, and we are so grateful to call her our leader.”
Advanced Degree Nurse of the Year: Kristen L. Scheer (Staff Nurse, West Campus EC)
“She will go out of her way to ensure everyone is taken care of. This includes co-workers, providers, patients and families. She ensured everyone had gone on break and when she was about to go, she did not hesitate to assist in being part of the team required to respond to a code in the hospital. Outside of the hospital setting, she serves as a child advocate for children currently in CPS care. She spends her off days ensuring these vulnerable children have her full support in promoting their best interest and needs. Her dedication and perseverance for these children is truly admirable.”
Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year: Jenilea Thomas (Nurse Practitioner, West Campus PICU)
“She is an extremely productive clinician, teacher, clinical research scholar and program leader…She is acute care certified in both pediatric critical care and neonatal care – I know of no other nurse practitioner who has attained this dual certification. She is a thorough and compassionate clinician, comfortable in urgent situations and with the difficult conversations that occur with a critically ill child in the PICU. She has garnered the respect of the entire West Campus PICU team.”
Friend of Nursing: Jessica B. Ramirez (Professional Development Associate, NPD)
“Although she spends the majority of her time managing the Office of Student Affiliation as the program administrator, she leads and provides support with several development programs and system-wide initiatives under the scope of the NPD department. She became the PCA Workshop lead in May 2022. This workshop is designed for new hire PCAs. She supports nursing professional advancement by building upon the expertise of staff nurses in the Excel+ program. She provides monthly opportunities for Excel+ nurses to facilitate skills stations and this enables staff nurses to engage with the PCAs in an educational setting. Because of this, the PCAs are able to communicate with their nursing team more effectively.”

Houston Chronicle’s Salute to Nurses

To recognize nurses’ service, stamina and dedication, the Houston Chronicle asked for nominations of nurses who went above and beyond for those under their care. Out of thousands of nominations submitted, Texas Children’s is proud to have two nurses included among the Top 15 Nurses of the Year in the Greater Houston area:

Corrina Calzada (LT PICU 11)
LaShawnna Samples (Diabetes & Endocrine, West Campus)

Congratulations are also in order for the 21 additional Texas Children’s nurses who earned recognition among the Top 200 Nurses of the Year in Greater Houston: