Recognition – Page 14 – Texas Children's News

June 5, 2023

Grateful colleague submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Lieutenant Robert Noralez.

“Lieutenant Noralez demonstrates the utmost professionalism, care and compassion while working to ensure the safety of our patient families and my team. He is attentive and engages with each of us (patients/parents/employees) in a warm and welcoming manner. I truly appreciate his leadership, his presence and the service that he provides.”

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.

Felicia Spears knew early on working with kids was her calling. Growing up, she enjoyed babysitting and sought out opportunities during high school to work with children on the autism spectrum. She is certified as a registered behavioral technician (RBT).

Felicia always had a goal to work at Texas Children’s because it’s a hospital specifically for children. She persevered through a challenging job search during the pandemic and was offered an opportunity to become a patient sitter. In that role, she supervised individual patients, sometimes for eight to 12 hours a day providing emotional support and companionship before and after treatment. She also ensured the patient’s safety and provided relief for family members and loved ones.

“What a day as a patient sitter is like depends on the child,” Felicia said. “Some may be challenging due to mental health concerns while others are quieter and reserved.”

Proving herself from the start, Felicia was promoted within a year to Patient Care Assistant (PCA). The transition involved offsite workshops and hands-on learning from other PCAs at Texas Children’s designed to ensure our patients receive the most experienced care possible. She works in the float pool and is exposed to different units.

Felicia doesn’t have a favorite unit but appreciates working in the PICU for its many learning opportunities and said it’s the best part of her new role. She is enjoying more responsibility, plus tackling time management while attending to the needs of multiple patients. She’s not sure what the future holds, but is open to whatever comes next.

“I’m not sure I’ll pursue nursing certification, but I know at Texas Children’s the opportunity for advancement is there and, in the PCA role, I will never stop learning,” Felicia said.

Texas Children’s is not just a place to have a job; we want you to build your career with us. We’re always looking for great talent. Please feel free to refer people to our Texas Children’s People careers site to search for open positions.

Through our E.A.R.N. (Everyone is A Recruiter Now) program, team members can receive a $1,000 referral incentive for any candidate they refer who becomes a member of our One Amazing Team. Team members can also receive up to $5,000 for referring candidates who join our team in one of our featured jobs. To learn more about E.A.R.N., click here.

May 30, 2023

Appreciative colleague submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Practice Manager Nichole Campbell.

“Today while raining, Nichole walked all the patients and their families out to their vehicles with an umbrella. Although she got cold and wet not once did she complain!”

Caught You Caring

May 26, 2023

Every year, we welcome a new group of interns through Texas Children’s Health Plan’s partnership with Project SEARCH. The program offers young adults with disabilities the opportunity to learn valuable work skills to set them on a path to career success.

As we near graduation for this year’s interns, for Antoine Howard and Deveante Williams, the journey is just beginning as they have secured full-time positions at Texas Children’s. They were both commended and recognized for their superior efforts in attendance, dedication and determination to successfully perform their essential duties. They are currently onboarding and will begin work as unit support assistants in the Facilities department upon graduating from Project SEARCH.

“Project SEARCH taught me I can achieve whatever is placed in front of me,” said Williams. “Sometimes the job seemed hard, but Project SEARCH gave me confidence I needed to work harder to complete my tasks. I will miss every part of the program, but I am thankful that I was offered a job doing something that I’m good at.”

All program participants are immersed in the workplace during the nine-month program and have the same expectations on them as current employees. They work with a team, including a TCHP business liaison, Houston ISD instructor and teacher’s assistant, skills trainer, and local and state agencies to create an employment goal. Guided by department mentors, all interns participate in three internships as they explore a variety of career paths.

Howard and Williams, along with Tommy Dorsey, Mallane Livingston and Spencer Guhl rotated through different areas of the business, including TCHP Centers for Children & Women, Medical Affairs, Administration, and TCH Facilities, Gift Shop and Autism Center. They assisted with administrative duties, such as scanning, sorting, filing, MyChart registration, patient wayfinding, retail tasks within TCH gift shops and data entry.

“The best part of Project SEARCH is witnessing each intern’s progress throughout their internship. We get to assist young adults navigate their first steps into the workforce and individually guide each student to identify their career goals and endless possibilities,” said Shamera Beckham, education and training coordinator, Medical Affairs, TCHP. “Interns not only walk away with employability skills, but leave with increased social skills, self-esteem, independence and confidence.”

The Project SEARCH partnership began at TCHP in 2016 as part of an ongoing cultural competency strategy. We aim to create a healthier future for people with disabilities in our global community by leading in education, care coordination and advocacy through partnerships. The program gives our system access to a new, diverse group of talent with skills that match our labor needs, while also bridging the employment gap for individuals with disabilities.

The program continues to expand across the system, with Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Specialty Clinics scheduled for the 2023-24 school year. If your department is interested in supporting an intern, please contact Shamera Beckham.

May 25, 2023

PFW perioperative leader takes the helm of professional organization dedicated to safe surgery, sharing insights from her journey to presidency. Read more

May 22, 2023

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

May 15, 2023

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: