Celebrating Nurses Week at Shriners Hospitals for Children

It's Nurses Week and hospitals, clinics, doctors offices, nursing homes and countless other health care organizations are celebrating these unsung heroes throughout the nation this week.

At Shriners Hospitals for Children, we're taking the time this week to not only show our appreciation for all that our nurses to do provide care - and caring compassion - to our patients who have orthopaedic needs, but also to celebrate their accomplishments. We are a small, speciality hospital, focusing strictly on pediatric orthopaedics, which means our nurses have the time to not only get know their patients very well, but they also have the flexibility and energy to keep a keen eye toward quality, patient safety AND patient satisfaction.

It may seem like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo or jargon to everyone else out there, but to our patients, and their families, it means everything. Having many of the world's top orthopaedic surgeons at our facility is certainly a big draw when it comes time for people to choose Shriners Hospital to take care of their children. But it's the nurses and the care they gave their children that will provide the lasting memories of our hospital. They'll remember Shriners Hospital as a place where their child was cared for by our nurses as if they were their own children - giving of the utmost of compassion with strict attention to detail when it comes to quality and safety.

And it's our nurses who they will keep in touch with as their children grow through the various stages in life... first communions, graduations, weddings...

We heard it on our Facebook page this week (www.facebook.com/ShrinersSTL). Former patients from all over the country chimed in on our page to recognize the nurses they remembered during their time here, calling them out by name: Peaches, Jo, Lela, and more. 

It's difficult to pick out just one nurse for recognition during this week-long celebration. But our nurses picked one of their own for a special honor this week: The Daisy Award. Barb Hancher, our nurse manager in the inpatient divisions of our hospital, is this spring's recipient.

Barb joined the hospital staff 1997 staff nurse in the inpatient area, and later also served as charge nurse.  In 2007, she was promoted to the position of oordinator, Employee Health/Infection Control, and since then has earned certification in infection control. 

In September of 2012, Barb was asked to fill in as Inpatient Nurse Manager
after the position was unexpectedly vacated. Despite a lack of time to prepare,
Barb stepped up to fill the role. The nursing staff’s morale was poor at the
time, but Barb quickly earned their respect.  She was firm, but fair.  She
listened to their concerns and asked for suggestions on improvements could be
made.  She quickly addressed problems, frequently implementing the staff
member’s suggestions and giving them credit for the ideas. 

Barb is known throughout the hospital for her infectious laughter, which can
often be heard throughout the nursing divisions. She is also well-known for
addressing problems directly, instead of taking a punitive approach. 

"She stands up for her staff and makes us feel like a valued part of the
team," said one of her nominators. 

Congratulations, Barb - and congratulations also, to her fellow nominees:

• Kelly Herberger – Medical Staff
• Pat Long – Surgical Services
• Pamela Casey-Pavez – Surgical Services
• Karen Stephan – Inpatient Nursing