BUILDING A CADRE OF HIGHLY TRAINED TRAUMA NURSES University Hospital is known throughout the state as a leading center for advanced trauma care for both adults and children. That reputation depends on having a highly trained and experienced staff. In July 2014, the hospital launched an innovative Trauma Nursing Fellowship Program. The program recruits nurses with at least two years of critical care experience. Two nurses are selected for the six-month fellowship. Fellows are immersed in all aspects of trauma and critical care nursing, including prehospital care, resuscitation, surgery, the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and trauma administration. The ultimate goal is to develop a cadre of high-caliber nurses who can follow a patient throughout the continuum of care - minimizing handoffs and improving quality. Ifs also a pretty good recruiting tool. The program is now training its third class of fellows, Daniel Castro and Katherine Brunney. Luisa Cochran, Mark Brister, Amber Hicks and Matthew Lozano made up the first two classes of fellows. Ms. Hicks said the fellowship took her interest in trauma nursing and expanded it, giving her a new understanding and appreciation of the journey her patients take. Ifs an understanding her busy job wouldn't have afforded otherwise. "It allowed us to get out of the Emergency Department and see where patients are before they come to us, where those patients go when they leave us, and how our care affects their care for life," Ms. Hicks said." They receive classroom training and five clinical rotations that also include AirLife flight nursing, trauma pediatrics, the Pediatric ICU and trauma administration. They are mentored by senior trauma nursing staff. University Hospital is the premier Level I trauma center for adults, serving a 22-county region of South Texas. In 2016, it achieved the designation as the first and only Level I pediatric trauma center in South Texas.
2016 See How We See Annual Report
To see the actual publication please follow the link above