I am nominating the Team of Sedation for Outpatient and In-patient Radiology Services which is comprised of Nurses, APCTs, APPs, Technologists, Sedation and anesthesia MDs, Child Life specialists, and schedulers.

I am the Unit Director of Radiology Nursing, an integral part of preparing patients for Imaging with the need for sedation or even sedation avoidance.

This Team is comprised of members who are role models of collaboration, and teamwork that make a difference in the lives of patients, families, employees, and the community. We sedate approximately 100 or more children each month.

Parents of infants and children expect an elevated level of care involving a sedated or anesthetized MRI scan. To continuously strive to provide an unexpected experience, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP), has improved processes and efforts to provide care to families on admission and discharge from the unit and in particular, MRI sedation and anesthesia exams.

Basically, this team strives to consider the patients' health history to include physical abnormalities, implants, body habitus, allergies, and behavioral impact on the child's handling of healthcare experiences.

We work to approve cases for sedation ahead of time to avoid unnecessary cancellations and failures. This includes the very beginning of scheduling an exam.
Our process starts with appropriate scheduling, the pre-call to parents, and continuous screening of the patient prior to exams.

We then meet our families on the day of the exam and as a team, we involve the parents in decision-making on the sedation plan, the choice of medication, and even alternatives to sedation. (Distraction techniques, comfort items, movies, goggles, and mock scanner trials). Our Childlife specialists specialize in sedation preparation in our department of radiology.

The patient is prepared with an IV Placement (which takes on average 2-3 staff members) this can include Nitrous administration and an oral or nasal anxiolytic to place the IV. We are also drawing routine ordered bloodwork if able while we are planning this care. This is a huge endeavor and family satisfier.

We have even organized a Scheduling Success Team that revisits examples of failed experiences to hopefully improve all services.

We work diligently to streamline, modify, and make each child's sedation experience unique.

I am proud of this team, they epitomize strategic care and planning of this care and are role models.
 
Sedation Team members are found in all areas of the hospital and include Hematology Oncology (inpatient and outpatient), floors, Hyperbaric Chamber at PUH, Radiation Oncology, and areas such as ABR, Rheumatology, Echo lab patients and so many more.