Carol Carson, BSN, RN has been impacting the lives of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin patients and families since 1980. She embraces the Children's values and represents them with every patient interaction. Carol epitomizes nursing excellence. She always has a positive attitude and a welcoming personality. She is a dedicated, hard working team player. She coordinates care for numerous cardiology patients while supporting the practice of three cardiologists and two cardiology fellows.

In Carol's role as a cardiology nurse clinician, she often coordinates care for extremely complex cardiac patients. She goes above and beyond to collaborate with other disciplines to ensure the patients and families receive the best and safest care. Many of these patients have multiple complex medical conditions, requiring coordinating services of the feeding team, nutritionist, physiologist, neurology service, etc. This care coordination frequently involves coordinating multiple specially clinic visits, outpatient lab and diagnostics. Even more impressively, Carol goes out of her way daily to do the simple things for patients, like obtaining a dental appointment. At all times, Carol puts patients and families first. As an example, she hates when patients have to wait to be seen. If clinic is running behind, she will skip her lunch to get clinic back on track. She never cuts short the time she spends one-on-one with the patient and family.

Carol challenges herself as a professional by participating in Quality Assurance work in the Herma Heart Center with our Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plans (SCAMPS) project to ensure optimal care delivery. Carol has also applied for REACH 2015. As a support to families, Carol has been an active leader and annual participant in our Herma Heart Center (HHC) Parent Education Day to help families understand their child's condition and the resources available to improve their health. She also volunteered her time to coordinate the Annual HHC Zoo Picnic for cardiac patients and their families.

A final and best example, of her excellence occurred during a recent departure of a cardiologist. Carol had worked with the cardiologist for approximately 6 years. When the cardiologist moved out of state, patients were given the option to transition their care to any cardiologist within the HHC. Patients and families number one request was to transition to a cardiologist that Carol supported. They didn't' care who their cardiologist was, as long as Carol was their nurse! These families have commented on how grateful they are for her commitment to ensuring their children and therefore their family's health is in good hands when Carol is caring for them. Families have referred to their interactions with Carol as an absolute privilege.