Pediatric Nursing at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Nationally Recognized Nursing Leadership

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The American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® for excellence in nursing services has designated Nicklaus Children's as a Magnet hospital.  According to the ANCC, the leading nursing credentialing organization in the United States, Magnet designation is widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care. Only 6 percent of hospitals nationwide have achieved Magnet designation. Nicklaus Children's Hospital, first received this recognition in 2004, becoming only the fifth pediatric hospital nationwide to achieve this distinction which recognizes the nursing staff for meeting the rigorous quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined by the American Nurses Association's Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators. These standards include an environment that fosters leadership, nursing research, staff involvement and innovation in practice, as well as fostering an environment that supports teamwork and collegiality. Our nursing staff works as a team, like no other, to put children and families first.

Nationally Recognized Intensive Care

AACN Beacon Award for Excellence All three specialized intensive care units at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, including the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), have each achieved a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence in patient care from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Gold is the highest level of Beacon Award recognition. Nicklaus Children’s is one of only two freestanding pediatric hospitals in the nation to have achieved the status of having three ICUs awarded gold-level Beacon Awards.

The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes unit caregiver teams that successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with gold, silver or bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

Nationally Recognized Nursing Education

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Nicklaus Children's Hospital has also been recognized as an Accredited Provider by the ANCC. The ANCC Accreditation Program recognizes the importance of high-quality continuing nursing education (CNE), interprofessional continuing education, transition to practice programs, and skills-based competency programs. Around the world, ANCC-accredited organizations provide nurses with the knowledge and skills to help improve care and patient outcomes.

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The Horizon Nurse Residency Program was honored with ANCC PTAP National Accreditation with distinction on December 19th, 2017. Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) sets the global standard for residency programs that transition nurses into new practice settings. Achieving this accreditation elevates the standards of the Horizon Nurse Residency Program at Nicklaus Children’s Health System with ANCC evidence-based criteria, demonstrating excellence in the transitioning nurses from novice to proficient. The Horizon Nurse Residency Program was further developed in 2014 and has transitioned over 240 nurses with a 92% overall retention, since the inception of the program.

At Nicklaus Children's Hospital, you make a difference… all in a place where you can make a lasting impression in the life of a child each and every day. You can help smiles supplant tears and bring laughter where there was fear. Nothing compares to receiving a smile or a hug from a child and seeing them get better.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital, is committed to advancing the understanding and practice of patient and family-centered care in an environment that enhances comfort. At Nicklaus Children's Hospital, you are an integral part of the care team in an environment, supportive of the nurse. It is our goal to recruit and retain top staff and as such, we deliver...

Extraordinary care… by extraordinary people.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital, has also made an organizational commitment to our employees to be an "Employer of Choice" in South Florida. As a part of that commitment, we offer a package of attractive benefits such as tuition reimbursement, flexible scheduling, reward/incentive programs.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital, offers an active nursing research program, the Frida Hill Beck Nursing Education endowment fund to support education and research, a Shared Leadership nursing council/committee structure, career advancement and development, as well as a nursing clinical ladder.

All of these benefits and more enable us to recruit and retain top nursing talent and achieve exceptionally low vacancy and turnover rates that fall well below state and national levels. What’s more, our reputation and location support opportunities for international exchange with nurses throughout the world, with highlights including recent exchanges with nurse leaders from Taiwan, Turkey, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, China, Chile and Italy.

So, come take a closer look at what Nicklaus Children's has to offer.

Join our team!


From the Desk of Shannon Odell, Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer:
 

portraitWelcome to the special world of pediatric nursing at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Our nursing team is proud to be part of the only freestanding hospital exclusively for children in South Florida. We offer careers that are never routine, always challenging and extremely rewarding.

A Special Calling

As pediatric nurses, we have the opportunity daily to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Our young patients can’t always communicate what they are feeling, so we quickly become experts at interpreting the needs of those we serve, from babies to children and adolescents. It is our honor to be champions for children and to provide clinical expertise and a supportive presence to see them through their healthcare journeys, from routine medical visits to challenging procedures and inpatient stays. We proudly live our organization’s commitment to putting patients and families first in all we do.

National Leadership

Nicklaus Children’s enjoys special status in the nursing field, having attained Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for the fourth consecutive term. Only a few pediatric hospitals in the nation have achieved a fourth Magnet designation.

The Magnet Difference

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence. The Magnet model, to which we adhere, provides a framework for nursing practice, research, measurement and inclusion of nurses in organizational decision-making.  As a result, Magnet hospitals have enhanced patient satisfaction as well as lower nursing turnover and fewer vacancies when compared to hospitals without the designation.

Nurses at Nicklaus Children’s are dedicated, talented, and compassionate professionals who work together to make a better world for children. You can learn more about a career at Nicklaus Children’s by visiting our careers website


Sincerely,
Shannon Odell, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital