Nursing at Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach

Meet:

Q: What makes your work day satisfying?
A: Caring for patients and their families. Putting a smile on an ill child’s face is what keeps me coming to work everyday.

Q: Why did you choose your field?
A: I knew I wanted to be a pediatric nurse since the age of 12. As a child, I was frequently ill and spent a lot of time at my pediatrician's office. His nurse was so compassionate and kind to me. She always made me feel better even if I wasn’t healthy. I know that some day I wanted to be like her. I wanted to care for children and make then feel “good” despite their health status.

Q: Tell us how you used best practice medicine to enhance a patient’s life.
A: About 1 month ago a 14 year old female with Leukemia came into our office for a routine visit. When she came in she had a fever of 102 and wasn't feeling well. Her condition quickly worsened and it was determined that she was in septic shock. She needed to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We immediately contacted the PICU and the pediatric rapid response team, a new program that was implemented in Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach to facilitate care of children needing admission to the PICU. The nurses and rapid response team in the outpatient center worked together on this day and quickly moved the patient to the intensive care unit where she immediately received the care she needed. Fortunately, the patient has recovered nicely from this life threatening event.

Q: What exciting new programs have you participated in?
A: I have been part of the innovative nursing program that Long Beach Memorial Medical Center/Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach and California State University, Long Beach have developed. I am a pediatric clinical instructor for the trimester program. I am very proud to be part of such a great program. I think it is great that Long Beach Memorial has taken such an active role in combating the nursing shortage.

Q: What was your most rewarding day in the past year and why?
A: I have several days that I consider rewarding. However, one day particularly stands out. One day during clinic, one of my oncology patients, a 12 year old girl, gave me a card in which she referred to me as the “Best nurse in the world”. She also told me that she wants to be a nurse like me. I find this to be a high complement! She reminded me of myself, when I was her age. It was very rewarding to hear my patient say she wanted to be a nurse. It is a great feeling to know that I have inspired someone to follow in my footsteps.

Q: What advances or continuing education programs have you achieved?
A: Last year, I received a Masters degree in Nursing Education from the California State University of Dominguez Hills.

Q: Tell us about the dynamics of your team, the size and collaboration, talents, etc.
A: I work in Miller Children's Outpatient Specialty Center. The specialty clinic I oversee is Pediatric Oncology/Hematology. Our clinic is made up of one physician, two registered nurses, two patient care associates, one social worker, and one child life specialist. We have an outstanding team of fun loving individuals that truly love the children and families we serve.