Empowering Pediatric Nurses: The Catalyst for Transforming Healthcare

When a family member of mine was hospitalized as a young child, I remember not knowing what was going on within the walls of the hospital but knowing that they were receiving great nursing care. I wondered who these superheroes were that were providing such excellent, compassionate care; and it inspired me to pursue a career in nursing myself.

Pediatric nurses are the backbone of children's healthcare, and the work they do has a lasting impact on patients and families. But the work is hard. Healthcare, pediatrics and nursing all come with challenges.

But those hurdles don’t need to get the best of us. We are in control and can lead real change by empowering and supporting our nurses. My own career path exemplifies this impact; support and empowerment from others enabled me to go from a registered bedside nurse at Children’s Nebraska out of nursing school to today serving as a senior vice president and the chief nursing officer.

With the right systems, support and opportunities, we can transform pediatric nursing into a powerhouse of innovation and outstanding care. Let’s get into how and why we should be equipping and inspiring our nursing teams.

Build up team members’ skills and confidence

People will often ask, “How can you work in pediatrics?” There’s often a misconception of pediatrics being too hard, scary or intimidating. My answer is simple: Because of the team around me, and because of the kids. We have the privilege of caring for our future and people’s most precious asset: their children.

The truth is, we will equip you with all the tools you need and ensure you’re confident in your skills and knowledge. For me, I was scared to death to conduct research in my career. Both times I did, I was supported from research to publishing and it’s truly where I learned the most.

We’re with team members every step of the way and encourage people to explore options across more than 80 different specialties and types of roles to practice pediatric specialty nursing across our organization. If one area or specialty isn’t the right fit, the good news is, they can try something completely new. We want people to be operating in their areas of strength and passion – allowing them to feel confident and fulfilled.?

Foster a strong culture of teamwork and collaboration

In my role at a previous institution, my interdisciplinary colleagues and I developed an infrastructure around culture transformation and I found it fascinating. Culture transformation continues to be one of the most important projects a leader can engage in for their organization. We engaged interprofessional staff at all levels of the organization into a “Culture Club,” allowing team members to be ambassadors that influence culture and champion for change.?

Transparency is an essential element in this conversation. Transparency fosters trust and trust is foundational to effective teamwork. I encourage you to facilitate open communication and dialogue where nurses feel safe to share ideas, concerns and honest feedback. Regular team meetings and transparent decision-making processes can help build this culture.

I’ve found this approach to boost engagement among our nursing team. At Children’s, engagement scores have consistently shown that teams are incredibly strong and engaged within their unit. They trust each other and the camaraderie is evident, seeing that they want one another to succeed and can come together as a unified team to provide the best care and outcomes for the patients and families we serve. It’s also important to encourage collaboration and foster trust across disciplines and specialties. As the only hospital in the state dedicated to pediatrics, so much of what we do involves a multidisciplinary approach. We need to be able to come together with one goal and mission in mind.

Offer ongoing professional development opportunities

One thing I see in our team members at Children’s is a genuine desire to learn, grow and be the best at what they do. Allowing nurses to develop and grow, knowing where they want to go on their career journey and providing that pathway for them is crucial to their success and ours. For example, implementing fellowship programs can provide growth opportunities while keeping nurses at the bedside. This not only enhances professional skills but also increases job satisfaction and retention.

The healthcare field is always advancing, and so should the skills of our nursing teams. By investing in ongoing training opportunities and supporting educational pursuits – such as advanced certifications or degrees – we can keep our teams at the forefront of clinical excellence. Additionally, we can empower nurses by providing them with leadership roles in projects or committees – boosting their confidence and fostering a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Invest in wellbeing

In my mind, nursing is the best career, but there’s too often a negative perception because of its inherent challenges. I’m not suggesting it’s a career without significant challenges – but the difference in the challenges today is we can better manage them, and we can help set the path for tomorrow.

To avoid burnout, we can support our teams by providing flexible, creative scheduling options and promoting a healthy work-life balance. A rested and content workforce is more resilient and capable of delivering high-quality patient care. At Children’s, we have implemented innovative staffing solutions – like standardizing schedule patterns from every other or third weekend to now every fourth. We offer staffing schedules that provide opportunities to work nine months off for three, work three months off for one month, etc.

We’ve also invested in a robust wellbeing strategy, which includes an entire department dedicated to employee wellness – the “WeThrive” team. The team includes trained peer supporters available 24/7 for clinical and non-clinical team members and a facility dog to support emotional wellbeing. Children’s also houses “zen dens” on each unit, calming spaces for clinical team members to decompress after a difficult case or situation. Each room has a lock, a massage chair, essential oil diffusers, books and low lighting.

The future of healthcare depends on the empowerment of its nursing workforce. Our role as healthcare leaders is crucial in creating an environment where empowerment is the norm. By modeling transparent leadership and advocating for resources that support team growth, we can set the stage for a thriving work culture. I invite you to reflect on how you can enhance support within your own teams—what steps can you take today to empower your teams?

Pam Johnson-Carlson , DNP, RN, NE-BC,?is the chief nursing officer at?Children’s Nebraska . Pam brings a depth of pediatric executive experience to her role and is responsible for developing patient care strategy, growing our patient care services and empowering our incredible nursing team.

She holds leadership experience at healthcare institutions across the country, including the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital; Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs; and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Pam has served as a Magnet appraiser with the American Nurse Credentialing Center since 2008 and is an active member?of?the Society of Pediatric Nursing and the American Nurses Association.

Pam graduated from Midland Lutheran College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in nursing. She went on to receive a Master of Science degree in maternal/child nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Creighton University.

To learn more, visit?ChildrensNebraska.org .

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