When Alex Leister dreamt of becoming a nurse, being a critical care flight nurse was always her end goal because it fit well with her Type A, adventurous personality. Flight nurses, or transport nurses, are registered nurses who do many of the same tasks they would do in the emergency room or ICU setting, but […]
Hospital-wide sepsis protocol saves lives
Both Kyle Nottingham and David Detwiler are no strangers to Akron Children’s. Kyle, age 15, and David, age 4, have complex medical conditions that lead to frequent hospitalizations. Kyle has a neurologic condition known as Leukodystrophy hypomyelinating 6, which causes difficulty with muscle tone, spasticity, speech, body movement and eyesight. David, who is blind and […]
PICU program shows benefits of early mobility to critically ill patients
When Tammy Camelli, pediatric nurse practitioner, and Jean Christopher, clinical nurse specialist, attended a national conference in 2017 about the benefits of early rehabilitation for pediatric ICU patients, they were surprised by what they learned. “I never imagined we would get an intubated, critically ill child out of bed and sitting in a chair, let […]
RSV: Knowing when to treat at home and when to seek medical attention
RSV cases continue to run rampant in our communities and many parts of the country. The common virus causes mild cold-like symptoms with thick mucus and a lingering cough in adults and older children, but it can be very dangerous for young children. In fact, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is responsible for nearly 80,000 […]
Irene Genet looks forward to a retirement full of possibilities and dreams
Irene Genet, home care coordinator in respiratory care, likes the comforts of home. Whether she’s decorating or unleashing her inner foodie, home is a special place. That’s why Irene works hard to help the families of children who need long-term help with breathing. If the family learns to handle their child’s respiratory technology needs, they’re […]
CNP Marlene Thompson doesn’t shy away from a challenge, especially when it comes to kids
Marlene Thompson is not afraid of a challenge — and, apparently, not of her life-size skeleton and roommate, Mortimer, either. After working as a nurse in Akron Children’s PICU for 13 years, she was ready to push herself to face a new challenge head-on and feel the thrill of change once again. Today, she is […]