Nurses at Nemours Children’s Clinic - Pensacola take pride in their involvement in community activities. Not only do the nurses take part in awareness activities, such as Heart Walk for the American Heart Association, Diabetes Walk for the American Diabetes Walk, Cystic Fibrosis Walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the like, but they volunteer throughout the year for special camps for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses (Asthma Camp, Arthritis Camp, Cardiac Camp, etc). At these camps, our nurses are counselors, health care workers, friends, supporters, and listeners.
Many of our nurses provide education in schools and other community forums to educate teachers, workers, and students on topics that range from everyday hand hygiene to diabetes care. Several of our nurses participate in weekly meetings for Bridges to Circles, a program that assists families living in poverty. Many of our nurses also volunteer at first-aid stations to make sure our pediatric population are taken care at large events. Some have even been found manning a “teddy bear station,” where children bring their stuffed friends to be cared for and fixed! This small act of kindness actually has great meaning, as it often helps children overcome their fear of the doctor.
Leading by Example
One way our nurses make their mark in the community is by helping children and families successfully manage chronic conditions and avoid unnecessary visits to the clinic or hospital. One example of this involves a group of middle-school children with diabetes who were frequent patients of the clinic and were often admitted to Nemours affiliate Sacred Heart Hospital when their diabetes was not well managed at home or school.
Susan Hargadon, ARNP, and Mark Kummer, MD, decided to tackle the problem head-on. Susan spearheaded several initiatives to create awareness and support for children with diabetes, including school-sponsored support groups, school nurse education, counseling, weekly testing at the clinic, and facilitated family discussions to increase understanding of the disease. These initiatives have directly resulted in fewer clinic visits and hospital admissions. In fact, they’ve been so successful that they are currently being extended to area high schools.
Nurse Mentoring
Pensacola nurses also partner with community colleges to help teach and develop the next generation of nurses. Nursing students at Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola Christian College, and the University of West Florida all look to us for guidance and nurturing to become the best nurses they can be.