PEDIATRIC
NURSING EXPERTISE
The McLane Children’s Hospital and clinics have a staff of
350 nurses—300 at the hospital and 50 at the clinics—and
Mrs. Hansen aims to raise the staff’s educational standards.
McLane Children’s surpasses the national average of
bachelor’s degree–prepared nurses, with 63 percent at McLane
Children’s, compared to 38 percent nationwide. “We plan to
be at 80 percent by year 2020,” Mrs. Hansen says, adding she
expects to hit that goal even sooner. One-third of the nurses at
McLane Children’s have a specialty certification, and the goal
is 100 percent. McLane Children’s Hospital offers educational
opportunities and seminars for pediatricians and nurses based
at the clinics. Mrs. Hansen likes to see nurses gain experience
at the hospital as well as the clinics. “It’s very valuable because
they can see the entire continuum of care,” she says.
small program now, and I really would
like to grow it,” he says.
His list includes the addition
of a pediatric sleep study program,
which would address a rising need in
the community. “We’re finding that
more and more children are having
obstructive sleep apnea,” Dr. Boyd says.
The ages of children with the condition
range from teenagers to infant.”
Dr. Beeram adds that McLane
Children