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Nursing at Nemours

Nemours nurses are respected leaders who are empowered to truly make a difference in the lives of the children and families who come through our doors.

Our Nursing Programs

Our nurses provide outstanding family-centered care in both inpatient and outpatient settings with a nursing practice that is firmly grounded in science, based on national standards and tailored to the needs of each child and family.

Where you will find our nurses:

Nursing Excellence

See All Awards & Recognition for Nemours »

Transformational Leadership

A transformational leader takes the organization where it needs to go — not just where it feels most comfortable. At Nemours, our nurses are proactively taking on new and varied responsibilities to achieve transformational change and positive, long-lasting results.

Throughout our organization, nurses are empowered to search in unexpected places for ways to improve patient outcomes.

 
Meet Our Leaders

“Our nurses have a critical role in providing the highest quality care to our patients and their families. Shared governance is the foundation that allows clinical nurses to have a meaningful voice in the quality, practice, research and educational aspects of their practice. The strength of this structure has positioned us to embrace an interprofessional model of governance in which nurses will continue to be excellent professionals and strong partners.”

Jane Mericle, MHS-CL, BSN, RN, CENP

Chief Nurse Executive, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Del.

Clinical Advancement System

The Nursing Advancement Review Board provides consistent and equitable review of applications for the levels of Nurse Clinician 4 and 5.

Our goals are to: 
  • Attract and retain talented and competent associates who demonstrate behaviors consistent with our core values.
  • Assure a highly skilled workforce through continuing education and career development.
  • Align and set clear goals and match recognition and rewards to performance.

This board reports to the Nurse Management Council with additional oversight provided by the Chief Nurse Executive. 

Affiliations & Activities

Nemours nurses demonstrate their leadership in many ways, not the least of which is their ongoing commitment to professional organizations on the national and local levels.

 
Contacts in the Delaware Valley for Our Affiliations
 
Contacts in the Jacksonville, Fla., for Our Affiliations
 
Contacts in the Pensacola, Fla., for Our Affiliations

In the Community

When you deliver quality pediatric health care every day, it’s hard to leave that passion at the door when your shift ends. Nurses throughout Nemours take extra steps to share their expertise with children and families, educators and other health care professionals helping to manage and prevent disease while pursuing their passion for excellence in the local community and beyond.

 
In Our Jacksonville, Fla. Community

Nurses from Nemours Children's Specialty Care, Jacksonville work with schools, hospitals and health professionals to teach important elements of care and safety, and helping to establish standards of care for children with chronic conditions.

Here are some examples of our nurses in action:
  • Based on her years of experience in urology and gastroenterology clinics, Kim Jarczyk, MSN, PNP, is launching an evidence-based continence program to help children and families tackle the medical and social challenges and frustrations associated with incontinence.
  • Missy Zippel, RN, BSN, educates local school nurses and families about safety issues related to hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
  • Donna Zahra, PhD, ARNP, is committed to assisting young patients with spina bifida successfully transition to adult health care. She has been part of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workgroup who are developing a guide to prepare for adult participation that will be disseminated by the National Spina Bifida Association in Northwest Florida.
Our nurses are also active in the training of new nurses, as evidenced by their faculty and clinical positions:

Faculty Positions

  • Doreen Radjenovic, PhD, ARNP-BC

    Associate Professor, College of Nursing University of North Florida

  • Susan Welch, MSN, ARNP-BC

    Adjunct Professor, College of Nursing, University of North Florida

Clinical Preceptorships

  • Florida State College of Nursing

    Kathryn Munch, MSN, ARNP

  • Jacksonville University College of Nursing

    Kathryn Munch, MSN, ARNP

  • University of Florida College of Nursing

    Keisha Bird, MSN, ARNP
    Kim Jarczyk, MSN, ARNP
    Connie Mol, MSN, ARNP
    Kathryn Munch, MSN, ARNP
    Doreen Radjenovic, PhD, ARNP

  • University of North Florida College of Nursing

    Kathryn Munch, MSN, ARNP

  • University of North Florida College of Health

    Kathryn Munch, MSN, ARNP

 
In Our Orlando Community

We’re proud of the community commitment of Nemours Children's Specialty Care, Orlando nurse JoAnn Soeder, MSN, ARNP. During the summer, JoAnn volunteers at both Camp Boggy Creek and Camp JADA, keeping children with chronic illnesses such as cancer or diabetes safe while giving them the opportunity to have fun with their peers.

Throughout the year, JoAnn works with a local faith-based organization, Shepard’s Hope, which provides access to health care for the uninsured. And, once a year, she travels to the mountain communities of the Dominican Republic providing basic health care and nutritional education to this underserved population.

 
In Our Pensacola, Fla. Community

Nurses at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, 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, 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 specialty care and were often admitted to 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.

Shared Governance

A generation ago, the power in health care rested almost exclusively with physicians and management. Today, nurses are called upon to play a more active role in alleviating suffering, promoting health and resolving challenges.

This emphasis on empowerment does not occur on an ad hoc basis; at Nemours, it is built into the very fabric of nursing. And one way Nemours nurses are encouraged to share the reins, so to speak, is through the Nursing Shared Governance (NSG) Council.

 
Shared Governance in Delaware Valley

There are six individual councils under Nursing Shared Governance that meet regularly to address nursing issues in the Delaware Valley. These include:

Executive Council

The Executive Council is committed to improving and advancing nursing practice through the structures that comprise the governance model. The Executive Council members are the Chair and Chair-Elect of the Congress; the Chairs of the governance councils (Practice, Quality, Research and Education, Informatics and Nurse Management); the Chief Nurse Executive; and the Director of Nursing Excellence.

The Chair of the Congress also holds the position of Chair of the Executive Council. The members of Executive Council work together to act as an advisory council to the Chair of the Congress to plan agendas, ensure alignment with goals of the department of nursing, and to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the Congress.

Nurse Management Council

The role of the Nurse Management Council is to strategically foster an environment that supports excellence in nursing practice, quality, research and education, and positive patient outcomes. We do this through staff support and accountabilities to fiscal, material and human resources as well as organizational systems. The council reports to the Shared Governance Congress and acts as a liaison to other hospital-based committees.

Informatics Council

The Informatics Council is charged with enhancing the electronic documentation system and beside technology to improve the nursing workflow, promote patient safety and clarify nursing documentation. We receive and analyze reports regarding performance improvement and safety data, including medication barcoding, remedy tickets and Vocera (the new wireless, hands-free communication used by staff). The council reports to the Shared Governance Congress and provides periodic updates to the hospital’s Bedside Technology Committee and EMR Taskforce.

Practice Council

The purpose of the Practice Council is to develop, evaluate and revise evidence-based nursing standards of care, policies, procedures and educational materials for the Department of Nursing. The council reports activities to the Nursing Shared Governance Executive Council and to the Nursing Shared Governance Congress.

Quality Council

The Quality Council provides a planned, systematic and collaborative approach to overseeing and directing nursing activities related to quality, including the identification and analysis of nursing quality indicators. The Quality Council reports to the Shared Governance Congress and provides periodic updates to the hospital’s Performance and Safety Improvement Committee.

Research and Education Council

The purpose of the Research and Education Council is to develop, monitor, and asses educational and research opportunities for nurses that enhance professional practice and promote evidence-based practice and high-quality, family-centered patient care. Our goal is to foster the belief that professional education is a lifelong process for nurses at all levels. The Research and Education Council reports to the Shared Governance Congress and also provides periodic updates to the Hospital Education Committee.

 
Shared Governance in Jacksonville, Fla.

There are four individual councils under Nursing Shared Governance that meet regularly to address nursing issues in Jacksonville. These include:

Leadership Council

The Leadership Council provides a forum to address issues related to nursing practice. The council delegates issues related to practice for discussion and decision-making within the Shared Governance Model to the following nursing councils: clinical practice, education and research.

Clinical Practice Council

The Clinical Practice Council defines, structures and monitors clinical nursing practice, based on nationally recognized standards. This includes defining the levels of practice, minimum educational and experiential requirements for each level, clinical competencies and job descriptions; developing evaluation tools and processes; guiding the direction for recruitment, credentialing, hiring and orientation; evaluating staff configurations and much more.

Educational Council

The role of the Education Council is to foster the belief that professional education is a lifelong process and to promote, facilitate and provide learning opportunities that enhance the quality of nursing care through evidence-based practice.

Research Council

The charge of the Research Council is to integrate research concepts into the decision-making processes of the Practice and Education Councils. Our goal is to advance nursing, develop new knowledge, verify and disseminate existing knowledge and identify the role and responsibilities of the professional nurse in the conduct of the research process.

Throughout Nemours, Shared Governance gives front-line nurses a meaningful, ongoing say in how they do their work. The result is a dynamic nursing culture built on trust and communication in which four core values are emphasized:

  • professionalism
  • knowledge
  • leadership
  • caring/compassion

The council meets monthly, with smaller unit meetings in major areas. These sessions provide opportunities to identify patient care needs and clinical practice issues that might require discussion or improvement. Nurses can question if a particular practice is based on evidence or conventional wisdom.

The Nursing Shared Governance process is more than talk. It’s about results and outcomes, goals and action plans, shared knowledge and responsibility, and greater satisfaction and achievement. It’s also the shortest, most effective route to one of Nemours’ overarching priorities: continuous improvement in the care and service provided to our patients and their families.

Innovations & Research

Throughout Nemours, nurses are involved in research studies, integrating new empirical knowledge with their own clinical expertise. After determining a trigger (i.e., a health care question that requires an answer), nurses will:

  • assemble a multidisciplinary team to review the literature
  • determine the outcomes they want
  • create a process for bringing behavioral change into the setting

This evidence-based model allows nurses to become full participants in collaborative care.

Subjects under investigation have included topical anesthetics in venipuncture, the effects of Botox® on salivary glands, pain management in pediatric patients and many others.

Meet a Few of Our Dedicated Professionals

Our nurses share why they love working at Nemours/Alfred. I. duPont Hospital for Children.