Mary Kelly – Page 73 – Texas Children's News

May 12, 2022

Texas Children’s is growing in Austin! We are making exciting progress as our Topping Out Ceremony will take place later this month where we will officially have our structure in place for our state-of-the-art hospital. We continue to offer new jobs to get the right leaders on board to help build the culture and foundation for this expansion.

The Austin team recently hosted Teams Live information sessions to provide updates on our expansion. If you weren’t able to join, but would like to hear the latest, please click here to watch the video replay.

Also this week, the team launched the Austin Talent Network to hear about the latest career opportunities as they become available and to follow along on the journey toward opening our Austin hospital. Please feel free to share the link with friends and colleagues interested in our expansion.

Austin continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and Texas Children’s goal has always been to expand our expert pediatric and maternal care to more conveniently serve the families of Central Texas. Our new hospital is yet another example of how we are living up to this commitment while adding value to the health care options already available in the area.

In honor of Nurse’s Week May 6-12 and Mental Health Awareness Month, we are highlighting the role of the nurse in mental health care. Nurses have always been on the frontlines of caring for patients with behavioral health needs and will continue to be essential as the demand for mental health services increases. We are spotlighting two types of nurses: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners.

Behavioral health nursing can be one of the most challenging, but also rewarding career paths for a nurse to choose. Nurses work in a variety of roles and mental health settings and have different certifications. Like other specialties, mental health nurses can obtain certification in their specialty as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (PMH-BC). The PMH-BC is awarded once a nurse has worked for two or more hears and has completed at least 2000 hours of direct psychiatric patient care.

“Obtaining certification as a PMH-BC along with three of our other psychiatry registered nurses (RNs) is one of the things I am proudest of as a nurse leader,” said Tiffany Bittner, Patient Care Management (PCM) nurse for Psychiatry and Developmental Pediatrics and Autism. “We have a passion for the behavioral health population and are dedicated to serving them with the most up-to-date care processes and information.”

A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) is a licensed, nationally board certified provider specializing in the care of psychiatric patients. Working alongside the psychiatrist, they often provide some of the same services as medical doctors as part of the holistic team. They are trained to care for patients with mental health issues across the lifespan and in various stages of care and recovery. Nurse practitioners are qualified in assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation, and medication management.

One of the unique things about nurses is the wealth of knowledge they bring with them and their desire to share knowledge. PMHNPs are able to assist families through the challenges of navigating the vast, often confusing world of mental health diagnosis, resources and in-depth education.

Do you know excellent psychiatric providers? Texas Children’s is recruiting!

Did you know that Texas Children’s is actively hiring and recruiting for psychiatric advanced practice providers and has already hired its first nurse practitioner dedicated to our behavioral health population? These psychiatric nurse practitioners and other advance practice providers will be seen all over the organization within all campuses and within inpatient and outpatient settings.

“This could not have come at a more appropriate time for our organization,” said Bittner. “With the behavioral health population increasing daily, these nurse practitioners and other physician extenders allow us to increase the number of patients who we are able to provide excellent and thorough care for in their most critical time of need.”

Are you or a family member on Cigna’s medical plan?

Cigna also has a list of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners (NPs) available on their provider network. “Psychiatric NPs are helping expand the options for clients in getting immediate care when they need mental health assistance,” said Allison Bell, EAP Manager.

To see the Cigna Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner resources close to you go to: mycigna .com – Fina Care – Behavioral Health Counselor – Local Provider – Psychiatrists and Nurse Practitioners.

Mental Health Well-Being Survey

During the month of May, Texas Children’s employees are invited to complete the World Health Organization WHO-5 survey. For those working in remote locations or those who would like to take the survey at any time during May, you can access the survey here.

Read how Hilda Andrade pours love and kindness into every person and patient she encounters at Texas Children’s in this week’s people spotlight. Read More

Amid a rise in anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide, these leaders are sharing what it means to celebrate and recognize their heritage. Read More

May 6, 2022

We’re giving big shout out to all of the moms out there who have shown us what it means to be loved. For all of the moms in our lives: our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, foster moms, bonus moms, other-mothers, aunts, wives, partners, sisters, friends, fellow moms, and mentors who love with a mother’s heart – we appreciate you, we love you and we hope your day is as special as you are!

Mothers touch us so deeply, sometimes it’s hard to understand and put into words just what our mothers’ love means to us. They are good at everything – listening, teaching, nurturing – they seem like super humans who know how to do everything! Somehow they are there for us when we don’t even know we need them, throughout our lives. They show us what unconditional love looks like. Thank you moms, for everything you do. You mean the world to us!

There are many beautiful stories of motherhood, including your own. For those of you who are in the stages of planning for parenthood, we know there are many steps along this path, and Texas Children’s is here to support you and your family. From choosing your pediatrician to childbirth and everything in between and after, Texas Children’s offers many resources for team members in the Growing Your Family Guide.

Take a look when you have time. In the meantime, enjoy this special day in honor of motherhood and celebrating the moms in our lives, along with all those who surround us with love and support.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!

May 4, 2022

It’s time to celebrate our more than 3,700 nurses across the Texas Children’s system and honor their countless contributions to our patients, their families and the nursing profession.

National Nurses Week 2022 kicks off May 6 with the evergreen theme, “Nurses Make a Difference” – selected by the American Nurses Association Enterprise to elevate the profession for the entire month, and to recognize nurses for their steadfast commitment to meeting the needs of patients.

Texas Children’s Nursing Retention Council is proud of the plans they’ve developed for the week to ensure our nurses know how much they are deeply valued, and appreciated for their hard work, dedication and sacrifice especially during these challenging times.

“We are excited about the opportunity to celebrate our nurses during National Nurses Week,” said Rhonda Wolfe, director of Acute Care Nursing at the Medical Center campus. “There are several events scheduled across the system, ensuring alignment with social distancing guidelines, to recognize the hard work of our nurses over the past year.”

The council also partnered with Texas Children’s Employee Well-Being team and chaplains to create in-person support opportunities for our nurses, such as the Blessing of the Hands. To see the full schedule of Nurses Week events, click here.

2022 Nursing Excellence Awards

A highlight of Nurses Week at Texas Children’s each year is the Nursing Excellence Awards, which honor our nurses for their commitment to improving nursing care and patient outcomes. With safety in mind amid the ongoing pandemic, honorees will be celebrated this year in small sessions hosted by Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Ward, rather than a large, in-person event.

Read on for more information about each Nursing Excellence Award recipient, including excerpts and comments from their award nominations. For a gallery featuring a photo of each honoree, view below.

Staff Nurse of the Year: April Poncik (Staff Nurse, West Campus PICU)

“Anyone who has met April knows her to be a firecracker nurse. You need an advocate for patient care? You need a mentor for your nursing practice? You need a cheerleader to boost your motivation? Just call April! She does not believe in individual success. She instead drives others to be great alongside her, knowing we are all better together and better together means better outcomes for the patients and their families. When she speaks, others listen and I believe this is because her commanding presence is not intimidating, but inspiring!”

Nurse Resident of the Year: Anastacia Pappas (Staff Nurse 1st Year, Heme/Onc)

“We easily remember the first time we met her. She had the biggest smile on her face. Throughout the past 7 months, her positive spirit has not faltered. Whenever she has some downtime with her own assignment, you can always find her rounding the unit, looking to help her co-workers. She continues to seek opportunities for hands-on practice to gain skills and improve her knowledge base. Even today, as we write this, we can hear her in the hall taking initiative, educating a newly diagnosed leukemia patient. Tasks some newer nurse might shy away from, she runs towards. If you still have doubt if she deserves this recognition, come round on 9WT and talk to any family member or patient. Everyone wants her as their bedside nurse!”

Nurse Preceptor of the Year: Crystal Dunaway (Staff Nurse, IRU)

“This nurse exemplifies Preceptor of the Year in her work as a PALS Lead Instructor. She has demonstrated expertise in coaching and giving feedback and truly lives the value of amplifying unity with her dedication to team training and team communication in PALS. At the beginning of each class, learners of all disciplines can be anxious with expectations and their performance, but she always takes time to assess learner anxiety and preparedness – this sets the stage for a successful class.”

Nurse Leader of the Year: Judith Holloway (Assistant Clinical Director, Cancer Center)

“While her stellar reputation has always preceded her, and her many years of tireless dedication to TCH also speak for themselves – it has been truly remarkable to see the patience, grace, and fortitude with which she manages her many duties in a consistently high-stress role. She is on the floor ALL the time. I have never had a nursing leader that was so accessible to staff. And she knows cancer – like knows it all. I am not alone – the nurses on 7 and 9 all appreciate her.”

Advanced Degree Nurse of the Year: Karen Gibbs (Clinical Specialist, Acute Care)

“She frequently shares her expertise with research and evidence review to drive improvements, both within Acute Care and beyond. Her leadership and mentorship reach far and positively impact numerous teams and clinicians. She actively participates in groups and committees aimed at enhancing outcomes and is passionate to patient care. I am so impressed with this individual who already serves as a role model for so many nurses. She reflects the core values of what nursing is all about in all aspects of her advanced practice role.”

Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year: Jamie Gilley (Nurse Practitioner, Neonatology)

“Leaders may often lead from the rear of the crowd. She is that kind of leader. Her involvement in introducing new respiratory modalities whether it be the use of the jet ventilator or the initiative of reducing the time needed for access in CDH patients was amazing. This last initiative required an intensive review of the literature on the topic and then proposing a solution and designing a monitoring dataset for the protocol demonstrates great insight into the needs of the patient as well as the need to ensure safety. She participated in all of the literature review and meetings that helped us develop the CDH guidelines that we have been following for the last three years.”

Friend of Nursing: Supply Chain Department

“There is no team that has worked harder, collectively, on behalf of direct care providers. Since the COVID pandemic hit, their work has been 24/7/365. They have provided full transparency with the situations that exist with product shortages. They have managed to stay on top of the never-ending back orders, and many times have come up with multiple items to substitute. The partnership between supply chain and nursing has definitely been moved to a different level as a result of the recent years. We appreciate and love our supply chain friends, and at minimum can acknowledge their efforts with this award!”

Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses

Out of thousands of nominations submitted, Texas Children’s is proud to have four nurses included among the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses Award Top 15 Nurses of the Year in the greater Houston area. Congratulations to these outstanding honorees:

Barb Elias (Cardiovascular Surgery)
Brittany Blackston (Emergency Room)
Debbie Harrison (Cancer Center)
Jacqueline Kuna (Cancer Center)

Congratulations are also due to the 15 additional Texas Children’s nurses who earned recognition among the Top 150 Nurses of the Year in Greater Houston: