Archive for nursing
I’ve been there, too: What my baby’s tumor taught me as a NICU nurse
I had a toddler at home when I found out I was pregnant with my twins, Hannah and Sophie. Since I had already had a baby, I thought I knew what to expect during my pregnancy. I also work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Boston Children’s Hospital, so I thought I was ... Read More
Nurses Week 2022: Leading an enterprise-wide response to COVID-19
The Infection Prevention Control (IPC) team at Boston Children’s Hospital plays an important role in the management of all infectious disease events. Its focus is to maintain a safe environment for patients, families, and staff. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IPC department responded to a novel influenza pandemic and prepared extensively for patients with ... Read More
Nurses Week 2022: Leading the way in advancing nursing documentation
Boston Children’s Hospital nurses are dedicated to providing high-quality care to patients and families, which is best accomplished through maximizing time with patients for assessment and direct care. However, studies have shown that the long documentation process in an electronic health record (EHR) too often detracts from direct patient care and is a common barrier ... Read More
Nurses Week 2022: Patients at high risk for adverse events related to sepsis
Boston Children’s commitment to exceptional patient care and the best possible outcomes inspires innovation and growth. Both the hospital and its nursing leadership encourage professional development of employees through a variety of research and educational programs. The professional practice of Katie Roy, DNP, RN, CPNP-AC, FNP-BC, nurse practitioner, Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU), provides a ... Read More
Letters to our younger selves: Dr. Tyonne Hinson
Black History Month celebrates the achievements of Black Americans in U.S. history. Originally established in February 1926, the event recognizes those who have inspired positive change through advocacy, community building, and professional success. In honor of Black History Month and this year’s theme of Black health and wellness, we are featuring a few of the ... Read More
A lot better than surgery: Jesse’s treatment for pectus excavatum
Like many growing boys, Jesse Zuniga went through a growth spurt when he was 12. Around that time, his pediatrician noticed an indentation in his chest. Neither he nor his mother, Sarah, had heard of pectus excavatum or vacuum bell therapy before. Soon they would be experts in both. Also known as concave chest or ... Read More
Vacuum bell therapy: A nonsurgical option for chest wall depression (pectus excavatum)
Pectus excavatum is one of the most common chest wall abnormalities, affecting about 1 in 300 children. Physicians at Boston Children’s Hospital helped define early treatments for chest wall problems and continue to develop innovative approaches to pectus excavatum. These innovations include a nonsurgical procedure called vacuum bell therapy. While children with severe pectus excavatum ... Read More
Providing culturally responsive care to refugee and immigrant families
Refugee and immigrant parents and children have unique care needs. They have left their former lives behind, often due to discrimination, poverty, violence, or even ethnic cleansing operations. They may have witnessed or experienced torture or the death of a loved one. Once resettled in the U.S., parents must navigate and adjust to American culture, ... Read More
How lactation specialists can help you find answers to your nursing goals
Even if you’ve done it before, feeding a baby can be hard — especially breastfeeding. Research has shown that almost 60 percent of women in the United States who breastfeed stop before they intend to. This happens for a number of reasons: difficulties producing milk, including low supplyslow infant weight gain (sometimes called “failure to ... Read More
Nurses Week 2021: Nurse-led contact tracing team helps reduce the spread of COVID-19
As COVID-19 evolved into a serious threat in March 2020, protecting the health of patients, families, and employees at Boston Children’s Hospital was more important than ever. To stop COVID-19 transmission within the hospital community, registered nurses from across Boston Children’s voluntarily stepped up to form a contact tracing team. Their role: using their clinical ... Read More