6 Wolfson Nursing Team’s collaborative approach, flexibility, and teamwork is the key to the extraordinary compassionate care they provide on a daily basis. Over the past many months, this team has gone above and beyond to provide extraordinary compassionate care for two very special resident patients, as well as meeting the intense needs of countless pediatric behavioral health patients during this COVID crisis.
COVID has been incredibly hard for many families and children facing the illness, isolation, loss of income, food insecurity, virtual school, and so much more. The demand for pediatric mental health services has skyrocketed. Our 14-bed inpatient Peds behavioral health unit is always full, most days with 15 or more other patients waiting for a bed on this unit. What can we do to prevent gridlock in the Peds ED and improve the patient experience for these incredibly stressed patients and parents? 6 Wolfson Super Heroes to the Rescue! This team has revamped their rooms, completed CPI training, provided sitters, and changed their nursing practice to be more inclusive, calming, accepting, supporting, and welcoming of our behavioral health patients and their families. This has helped to provide a better experience for patients and families, but it has also helped provide support and stress relief for our Behavioral Health and Peds ED team members.

Way to step up 6 Wolfson! Your willingness to be flexible, collaborative and supportive has been exceptional. You make us proud!
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In addition to all of that, 6 Wolfson has also been home to two very special children. Both of these patients were resident patients on their unit for more than a year before being discharged. These patients rarely had family at bedside, so this team of superheroes stepped up and became like family to these two kiddos. The first patient, T, was first admitted to 6 Wolfson with severe Crohn's disease. After learning to care for his ostomy, T was discharged home but soon returned to us very sick. Over the course of the year, T was in and out of PICU but always returned to 6 Wolfson. During the time he was in PICU, nurses and CNAs from 6 would visit him, which always made him smile. During his time on 6 Wolfson, there were many nurses who stepped up to be T's primary nurses and these ladies treated T like their own son or brother. T was on the autism spectrum and the nurses would explain things to him in a way he could understand. They held him accountable for taking care of his ostomy and other wounds, for performing self-care every day, for making him walk laps and stay active. They ensured T performed hand hygiene before doing his care. T had very sensitive skin, which was often itchy so he was constantly scratching and picking at his skin and dressings. When it was suggested T only wear cotton to help with his skin, the nurses and CNAs from 6 brought him cotton pajamas and clothes. Because of T's severe Crohn's, he was NPO and on parental nutrition for more than a year. When the surgeons said T could chew gum, the nurses and CNAs brought him every flavor of gum imaginable. When T was finally able to eat after more than a year, the whole team was at his bedside for his first bite and then proceeded to bring him food from the food list they had created for him with all his favorite foods, which included lots and lots of Doritos!
When T celebrated his birthday, Hannah from child life planned a big party for him. The nurses from the unit and ancillary departments, CNAs, physicians, and even administration all came to help him celebrate. I couldn't even tell you how many nurses came in on their day off to celebrate with T. The staff brought him all his favorite things and T was so happy. It was a bittersweet day the day T was finally discharged after more than a year in the hospital. Recently T came up to visit and as soon as he came on the unit you could see his smile from a mile away! T gave hugs and it was obvious that he felt like he was returning to his second home on 6 Wolfson. I do not think there is a bigger testament to the care they provided than the smile on his face.
The second patient J, is a NICU graduate who was also on the unit for almost an entire year. During J's time on the unit, he encountered several complications and initially had a colostomy. J's skin was also very sensitive and it required special care to keep his skin healed, again with the help of the nurses from the wound care team. The nurses caring for J made it a priority to keep the area healed. Eventually, J was able to have his colostomy closed, but needed a g-tube. Once g-tube feeds started, J ended up with nearly constant diarrhea, which led to skin breakdown. The skin care regimen required a lot of time and care, but the nurses stayed on top of it and took it very seriously. Once again, many nurses stepped up and became J's primary nurses. These nurses helped the 6 Wolfson family celebrate J. They made J's hand and footprints into souvenirs for milestones and holidays. As J got older and outgrew clothes, these team members brought him clothes and shoes. They bought him presents for Christmas and when J celebrated his birthday, they brought him toys, cake to share, and a cake just for him, and they decorated his room with his favorite movie. There were nurses who brought him personalized shirts for every occasion and personalized blankets. When J finally went home after more than a year in the hospital, he had more than six wagons full of items he had accumulated from the 6 Wolfson team members.
These are just two of countless examples of the excellent care the nurses on 6 Wolfson give to their patients. It is one thing to provide care as a nurse using the skills you learn in nursing school, but it requires a special nurse and person to provide the type of care we have witnessed on 6 Wolfson. I truly believe that this 6 Wolfson team is made up of exceptional caregivers that go above and beyond every day, without even a second thought and they deserve recognition for the amazing care they provide.
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Team Members honored with this DAISY TEAM Award:
Phillipa Jones, MSN, MBA, RN, CPN
Robyn Stemmer, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Cathleen Schultz, MSN, RN, CPN
Emily Rineberg, MSN, RN, CPN
F. Jane Bell, BSN, RN, CPN
Arnika Edmondson, BSN, RN
Charmaine Bryant, BSN, RN
Amanda Talalai, BSN, RN, CPN
Jasmine Culp, BSN, RN
Teresa Deforge, ASN, RN
Jill Darago, BSN, RN, CPN
Tiffani Gordon,BSN, RN
Hannah Gupton, BSN, RN, CPN
Lourdes Gutierrez, BSN, RN, CPN
Jessica Jones, BSN, RN, CPN
Myra (Mackenzie) Jones, BSN, RN, CPN
Sarah Krupinski, BSN, RN, CPN
Shelby Lockerman, BSN, RN, CPN
Lacie Longfellow, BSN, RN, CPN
Elizabeth Miller, BSN, RN, CPN
Kayla Miller, BSN, RN
Andrise Morose, BSN, RN
Triciajoy Ochoa, BSN, RN
Tristen Prospero, BSN, RN, CPN
Allison Rockwood, BSN, RN, CPN
Hannah Roepenack, BSN, RN, CPN
Amy Sander, BSN, RN, CPN
Rachel (Shirley) Sharp, BSN, RN, CPN
Jessica Stephens, BSN, RN
Audrey Van Delinder, ASN, RN
Alexandra Ventresca, BSN, RN
Charity Walker, BSN, RN
Donna Wallace, BSN, RN
Hayley Woodbridge, BSN, RN, CPN
Amorie Wright, BSN, RN
Trenton Benjamin, CNA
Stephanie Brown, CNA
Laksana Elliott, CNA
Laura Grodivant, CNA
Samyetta Johnson, CNA
Allison Jones, CNA
Dominique Kinsler, CNA
Madison Mazerolle, CNA
Tin Oo, CNA
Heidy Pena, CNA
Amy Penton, CNA
Elinita Pettus, CNA
Jasmyne Pressley, CNA
Suzanne (Reilly) Steinert, CNA
Megan Yong, CNA