ON CAMPUS
Helping New Nurses Find Their Place Rady Children’s nursing bootcamp lets new pediatric nurses hone their skills and build community S tarting a new job can be tough, especially fresh out of school or after a career change. At Rady Children’s, nurses who are new to the profession, or just new to pediatrics, undergo an intensive, year-long training program, which helps them acclimate to the hospital environment, explore specialties or areas or interest and build camaraderie with other staff members. Rady Children’s is committed to excellence in nursing and has been honored with the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s prestigious Magnet recognition for professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care. The nursing “bootcamp,” officially called the New Graduate Transition to Practice Program, is an extension of this and incorporates classroom, virtual and hands-on learning, one-on-one sessions with a preceptor and talks on resilience and wellness in the role. Sessions are held three times a year for cohorts of up to 50 nurses at a time. “One of the key taglines is ‘Growing our own,’” says Kathleen Sweeney, PhD, Associate Chief Nursing Officer-Innovation. “We want to grow them from the Rady Children’s mindset and from the pediatric nursing lens and that’s what these programs allow us to do.” Though Rady Children’s has roughly 2,000 nurses on staff, more are needed to fill gaps across the Hospital’s 12 specialty areas. Robust education programs, such as the Transition to Practice Program, can help with recruitment and retention by giving new nurses the opportunity to build their confidence and skills in a supportive environment. Since the program was reinstated post- pandemic, 96 new nurses have participated. As of April, 91 are still with Rady Children’s. Sweeney says participants love the program because it’s so targeted, focused and hands-on. Learning in cohorts and breaking
care industry through advocacy, community service and networking,” says Mariam Hmoud, iCAN Kids-Rady chapter leader. “We pride ourselves on giving our teen members agency in the activities they choose to focus on. This advisory group sets up youth to identify potential career paths in health care and grants them opportunities to build communication, collaboration and leadership skills.” The kids of iCAN lend a unique perspective to pediatric health care and act as the voice for youth before government bodies, industry officials, research institutes, nonprofit organizations and others. Many have been patients at a children’s hospital, have extensive experience with medical processes and are interested in affecting change in the health care field. Others have an interest in health care as a future career. Through iCAN, they can learn about new device development, share their stories with industry professionals and connect with other members. They conduct their own research, innovate new solutions and advocate for pediatric patients.
out into substantially smaller groups for more specialized training also build a sense of community. And the guidance from highly experienced educators with decades of experience and a passion for the profession shows new nurses what’s possible with time and training. “We have built a pool of educators who bring such real-life experience. We have people who have been nurses for 30 years here who still want to teach our new people, which is so exciting,” she says. Sweeney says one of her favorite parts of the job is meeting with new grads and seeing their excitement to be beginning their career at Rady Children’s. “It’s so rewarding to me to see these young new nurses coming into the profession. I love meeting with them and seeing their growth— and as a someone who loves my profession and loves pediatric nursing, that just is so amazing,” she says. “I’m so proud of our organization and our educators. Ultimately the goal is to provide amazing care for our patients and families, and that’s why we do this.”
The iCAN experience also empowers participants through leadership and advocacy. They learn to think on a “greater good” scale and be part of something bigger than themselves. They consider medical conditions and their associated challenges, collaborate with others, participate in and volunteer at community events and attend an annual iCAN global summit, held this year in San Diego. “iCAN is an incredible organization that gives wonderful opportunities to children worldwide,” says Erin Madera, iCAN Kids-Rady chapter leader. “Being a part of iCAN and having the opportunity to reach the youth of our community and give them a platform to really have their voices heard and valued both locally and internationally is so remarkable to witness!”
SUMMER 2023 HEALTHY KIDS MAGAZINE 11
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