Exemplary professional practice
Exemplary Professional Practice is driven by our Professional Practice Model, which influences how we collaborate and communicate with patients and our interprofessional team and compels professional development.
Throughout 2024, nurses across the organization took the initiative to address challenges and bring about meaningful change. They demonstrated their commitment to professional nursing by:
- Going above and beyond to create a memorable experience for a patient with leukemia
- Introducing a new migraine treatment as an alternative for patients experiencing medication side effects
- Developing and optimizing ways to communicate patients’ care plans to their families
Acute care services nurse creates memorable experience for patient
During a night shift on the Hematology-Oncology floor at Children’s Medical Center Plano, Laura Howard, BSN, RN, CPN, stopped in to visit 7-year-old Victoria, who was undergoing chemotherapy. Laura engaged her in conversation, asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be your manager,” Victoria replied. Amused and inspired, Laura crafted a playful plan. She created a mock job application for Victoria, asking fun questions like her favorite Disney princess, and gathered a pretend ID badge, onboarding folder and office supplies. Victoria enthusiastically completed the application with her mom’s help.
Laura and Team Leader Crista Salinas, BSN, RN, played “hiring manager,” reviewed Victoria’s responses and offered her the role. Victoria proudly donned her badge, set up her bedside table as her desk and eagerly began her duties. Nurses visited her “office” with pretend requests, making her feel empowered and engaged.
Victoria’s mom, Luz, shared how the experience brightened her daughter’s stay. “Victoria was happy to just be able to spend a little bit of time with the nurses who made her feel at ease,” Luz said. “They made her stay better and a little bit easier.”
Laura, a recipient of the 2024 May Smith Nursing Excellence Award for Caring Practices, emphasized the importance of creating positive, memorable experiences for patients. “Every child deserves to feel like a kid, even in the hospital,” she said.
Victoria’s mom said she is grateful to the team who “have been amazing during this difficult time.”
Nurse practitioner introduces innovative migraine device for Children's Health patients
A pain management advanced practice registered nurse is helping migraine patients find relief with a new device. Elizabeth Wong, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMGT-BC, discovered the device at a headache conference. Seeking alternatives to medications, which often cause side effects, Elizabeth explored options for both preventive and emergency migraine treatment. Approved by the FDA for children 8 years and older, the treatment uses a 45-minute session to stimulate pain modulation without side effects. Armed with this information, Elizabeth introduced the device to the pain management clinic, where providers began prescribing it in August.
At the end of 2024, 20 patients between 12 and 18 years old used the device. Feedback shows promising results: 75% reported pain relief within two hours, 45% became pain-free and 85% to 90% stayed pain-free for 24 hours. Additionally, 90% of patients using it preventively have experienced fewer monthly migraines.
Because the tool connects to a smartphone or tablet, students can treat migraines in class without leaving school. The clinic supports students by providing notes to use the device at school.
Interprofessional initiative launches to improve patient communication and discharge process
Nurses, in collaboration with the Patient Experience team and physicians, have developed an initiative to improve communication with families and streamline the discharge process. The three-phase project began as a pilot on the gastrointestinal acute care unit and has since expanded to all inpatient units on the Dallas campus.
The first phase, which launched in July 2024, supports patient-and- family-centered rounds where providers, nurses and patient families discuss the patient’s plan of care for the day. Nurses work to ensure the whiteboards are kept up to date with the “Plan of Day.” Nurses and physicians work together to ensure the plan is regularly updated and communicated, helping families understand what needs to happen each day to support their child’s care and eventual discharge. Families are encouraged to collaborate on their child’s plan of care via their own additions to the whiteboards, enhancing individualized care. Recognizing a gap in communication with Spanish-speaking families, the team also partnered with Language Access to explore solutions.
Initiative leaders conducted training during a campus-wide roadshow and produced an online training module for new staff.
In Q4 of 2024, we outperformed at 78% in the Magnet category of care coordination, which asks patients, “Was there good communication between the different doctors and nurses?”
The project has seen high engagement from nurses who are eager to continue improving care and communication for patients and families.
