In recognition of National Nurses Week, Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre shares and encourages our team of more than 3,000 nurses to take time to celebrate the amazing work they do for our patients and their families. In this spotlight video, we that celebrates our nursing team’s dedication, their accomplishments and continued leadership in helping advance Texas Children’s advance its mission in patient care, education and research. More
Regem Biyo shares how grateful she is to begin her nursing career at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and how the organization is helping her grow in her new role. Read more
Following Washington State Senator Maureen Walsh’s “card-playing” comment undermining the role of nursing, Amanda Wenger shares why every nurse at Texas Children’s should be proud of the work they do for our patients. Read more
The countdown clock is ticking. In less than 24 hours, Texas Children’s Nursing will host its sixth virtual town hall from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. this Wednesday, January 30, at the Pavilion for Women Conference Center.
Nursing has partnered with the Corporate Communications team to organize this event to engage our team of more than 3,000 dedicated nurses that make up Texas Children’s largest employee population.
Hosted by Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre’, the town hall will include an overview of the nursing strategic plan, facility updates, as well as time for Q&A.
“By leveraging new technology at our town halls, we are able to engage with more of our nursing team members – near and far,” Andre’ said. “As our team continues to grow, it will be increasingly important for us to leverage technology and continue to identify innovative ways to enhance communication.”
For nurses who cannot attend the live event, there will be several gathering locations to view the live stream:
Click here for instructions on how to access the livestream.
Forming your own huddles? Please submit sign-in sheet to jcchilds@texaschildrens.org.
On December 10, Texas Children’s Nursing Retention Council pitched in to give back to the community by volunteering at the “Be a Resource for CPS Kids (BEAR) annual toy drive.
Team members spent several hours sorting and preparing Christmas gifts for distribution to the 9,925 children in the Houston area who are in the Child Protective Services (CPS) system.
Like many Texas Children’s employees who have dedicated their time to volunteer service, identifying opportunities to make a positive impact in the community is a win-win situation. Accustomed to caring for others, supporting BEAR provided an opportunity for our nurses to extend their reach and care for thousands of foster children across Greater Houston.
“I am excited about the ways our team is serving our community,” said Texas Children’s Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre. “Volunteering makes us feel good, brings us together and further strengthens our team. The work of BEAR closely aligns with Texas Children’s mission of serving children, and I can’t think of a better organization for us to support.”
Besides their annual holiday toy drive, BEAR provides emergency supplies – like diapers, clothing, shoes, car seats, cribs and school supplies – to Harris County children in the care of CPS. The program also provides items needed for youth who are transitioning out of CPS care.
“BEARing Gifts was such a powerful experience for me, and it made me realize just how dire the situation is for children in our community,” said Nursing Retention Council Chair Sharon Moreau. “As Retention Chair, I will work to cultivate a lasting relationship with BEAResource.”
On November 2, Nicole Sheets, a staff nurse from the inpatient pulmonary floor at Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center campus, was one of three featured nurse panelists on the Houston Matters radio program that airs weekdays at noon on Houston Public Media news station 88.7.
The topic of the panel discussion was “Are Nurses Underestimated or Overlooked by the Public.” A recent study published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship which found that nurses are only used as sources in 2 percent of health care news stories prompted the discussion.
“I am so proud of the way Nicole represented Texas Children’s and her nurse colleagues on the panel,” said Texas Children’s Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre. ”She did a great job describing the image of nursing at Texas Children’s and how integral our role is perceived by other members of the health care team.”
Click here to access the archived version of the segment.
On August 8, Texas Children’s Nursing Professional Development and the Shared Governance Interdisciplinary Education Council hosted Professional Day at Texas Children’s Medical Center Campus, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.
More than 500 participants attended the conference across the hospital’s three campuses – 360 at Medical Center Campus, 78 at West Campus and 128 at The Woodlands. The conference is designed to promote the enhancement of quality care and patient outcomes through evidence-based practice in the areas of pediatrics and obstetrics. The full day event included a pre-conference session, 80 podium and poster presentations, exhibitors, food and lots of fun and prizes.
“For the first time this year, the annual conference was open to the public,” said Amanda Garey, Nursing Professional Development specialist who was integral to the organization of this event. “Traditionally, Professional Day had been primarily a nursing event, but this year we expanded the event to include clinical staff from multiple disciplines who play a critical role in quality patient care and outcomes.”
Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre presented the keynote address which was shared to the community sites via telehealth platform. All of the conference speakers were acknowledged as subject matter experts in their fields and delivered the content based on latest trends and evidence. In total, 38 exhibitors and professional organizations supported this conference, which provides a platform for colleagues to collaborate, network, share knowledge and make professional connections.
“I really enjoyed the different speakers and learning more about the hospital and the different roles that people have here and the different ways I can learn from them,” said Regem Biyo, a labor and delivery nurse at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.
The event awarded contact hours for CNE/CME/Social Work/Respiratory Therapy. Amanda Garey and Jill Stonesifer were the event leaders at the Medical Center Campus. The event at West Campus and the Woodlands Campus was organized by Lauren Ivanhoe and Deborah Lee respectively.
View a photo gallery below of Professional Day at Texas Children’s.
If you missed this year’s Professional Day, make sure you mark your calendars for the next conference slated for September 19, 2019.
