In June of this year we launched our Newborn Club Pilot in Pediatrics. This pilot involved melding together the infant's first Lactation appointment visit and the infant's first physical in one group setting.

In choosing the nurse to support this pilot, we were looking for someone with exceptional people skills and someone who would be supportive of the pilot and problem solve workflow issues when issues presented themselves. We chose Brianne Esparza, LVN to be the first nurse to join our providers, Brenda Kobernusz, PA and Denise Parker, Lactation consultant in making this pilot a success.

We began this pilot with minimal expectations from the nursing role. We expected the nurse to screen the newborns and place the information in Healthconnect. In our planning stages, we knew the nurse would assist with flow and assumed that as soon as all the patients were weighed Brianne would no longer be needed in the Newborn Club.

Brianne surprised us all and has grown tremendously from this experience. Her positive attitude and belief in the true service of this pilot was exemplified in the initiative she showed in bringing her ideas forward, incorporating improvements as she went about taking care of her patients and cheering the mothers, the fathers and her team on with each Newborn Club Group Visit. She is constantly multi-tasking and when she sees a need she can fill - she does it. Her confidence in the debrief meeting continued to show through by her participation, her openness to feedback and her collaboration with our providers. She has taken the initiative to solve problems as they arise, then brings the issues to the debriefing meeting so that we can work solutions into our work flows and process.

She understands the importance of the science of our profession and collects accurate data and is confident to escalate her concerns or the parent's concerns to the provider as needed. She is constantly aware of her surroundings and collaborates with and supports the providers in their roles in the program.

She continued to show compassion to our breastfeeding moms as she worked to ensure our patients were satisfied with their visit. She answered questions from doubtful parents when they are hesitant to participate and she supports those who wonder if a group visit was really for them. I was moved by her commitment to service when I was told that she follows up with our parents who were doubtful in the beginning of the process and makes sure all their questions are answered by both providers before the end of the visit, always wanting to ensure that our patients feel supported by this program and are happy with the outcome. When I have informally surveyed patients after their visits, they have complimented the kind and caring nurse that she is and mothers have commented how easy she is to talk to.



She has shown leadership skills speaking at huddles and meetings about the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits of the newborn club. She seeks constant improvements and efficiencies and is not daunted by challenges in her daily work in the pilot. She has mentored the receptionists who call the patients to confirm attendance and has helped improve their understanding of the program and has worked with them on their script to spark excitement in the parents as we confirm their appointment. She also partners with them to welcome the patients at the beginning of the visit. I have seen the receptionist open up and become more confident in this skill with her encouragement.



The success of the nursing role in this program can be attributed to Brianne's contribution in elevating nursing care and practicing to the full spectrum of her scope as she encourages and supports parents while screening her newborn patients and promotion breastfeeding and the resources available to the mothers. She not only met our expectations of the LVN role in this program but has exceeded it by showing us the value of the nurse in the Newborn Club. I nominate Brianne Esparza for the Daisy Award.