Pam Mooney has dedicated a lifetime to excellence in pediatric nursing care. As a child, she dutifully and lovingly nursed her dolls and toys to wellness. Over the past 30 years as an RN, she has served as a bedside nurse, a clinical nursing instructor, a clinical resource nurse, and a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). As a CNS with more than 30 years' experience, she embodies the role of nurse educator, patient advocate, and an organization-wide resource.
From Pam's smallest patients to our tenured physicians, everyone that works with Pam regards her as an expert in her field and a treasured asset to UC Davis Medical Center. Her focus is always on what is the best process to improve patient care and outcomes. She pursues excellence in her care and inspires nurses to do the same. She is constantly educating nurses, families, and patients. She will arrive at a bedside and immediately engage the family, calming an anxious mother and/or patient. She readily identifies research and data to support best practices. She actively pursues collaboration and engages multiple teams to improve patient care and outcomes.
Pam is also sensitive and compassionate to everyone she engages with; she listens attentively and provides reassurance and feedback. She has worked as an educator, mentor and clinical expert for many students, nurses and CNS's. Her colleagues comment that "She has inspired me to be a better nurse, friend, and CNS!"
Pam establishes an environment of trust and openness as she educates and guides patients, families, nurses, physicians, and students in the best practices of pediatric care. It is often said by the nursing staff on the pediatric unit, "go ask Pam", as she is the most willing and accessible resource for any problem experienced by a pediatric patient (especially with a tube, line, or drain) and is able to explain and guide staff in care. Her educational and coaching style empowers nurses at the bedside to ask critical questions regarding practice decisions and to perform functional assessments that support the professional governance structure at UC Davis Medical Center. This also provides the nurses and students with tools to use in their future practice.
Pam's role as the CNS for the medical-surgical pediatric units in the hospital grants her the responsibility and authority to oversee the pediatric nursing care within our hospital, but it is her commitment to professional excellence and her deep caring presence that makes the real difference as she resources patients, families, nurses, and physicians. There are thousands of stories that can illustrate Pam's knowledge and compassion, but an often-shared memory by many of the nurses is from a pair of twins, born conjoined and in our care for physical rehabilitation after their surgical separation.
This procedure was scary for both the girls and their loving family. The challenges they faced in healing from this extensive procedure required excellence in both thought and innovation. It also required great tenderness, compassion, and hope. One of the girls would beam when approached by Pam, lovingly nicknaming her "Pam Minnie" (as in Minnie Mouse) for the joy and love Pam brought into the room.
Pam has worked diligently for the care of some of the most complex patients in the country. The bulletin board in her office is an archive of many of the children she has so lovingly cared for over the years. The pictures may be yellowing with age or recent digital prints, but they bear witness to the generations of children who have benefited from her wise and wonderful care. She has provided excellent evidence-based care in an inclusive and compassionate manner that empowers both the patient and their family members to be able to confidently reach their highest potential. This is one of the optimal goals for a nurse.
Pam's legacy within our institution has impacted children, their families, the nurses- both newer and experienced- and physicians. She tirelessly networks to provide the right products to make the patients healing better- whether wound care supplies and dressing or just the right sippy cup. Pam has modeled respectful, professional, and compassionate nursing practice for as long as we have worked with her and she has instilled critical thinking skills within the caring behaviors that will guide a nurse in practice and ensure patients and their families receive excellence in care.