REAL NURSES ISSUES SOLUTIONS

Editor's Note: This column highlights some of our AAACN members by looking at the types of ambulatory roles they fill, their day-to-day challenges, their reasons for joining AAACN, and how AAACN membership has helped them as professional ambulatory care nurses.

Our AAACN Spotlight moves to Pennsylvania, where we meet pediatric nurse Barbara Pacca, RN. As a staff nurse at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Barbara has one of those jobs about which many of us can only dream. She knows that every day she goes to work, she can positively impact the lives of her young patients and their families.

Barbara tells us about the unique setting in which she practices. "I have been a staff nurse in the Day Medicine Unit for 15 years. This nurse-run ambulatory unit uses a multidisciplinary approach, including the use of a child life specialist who helps patients cope with the more difficult parts of their care (such as IV placement). The Day Medicine Unit is an outpatient infusion center that cares for chronically ill children. I am responsible for direct patient care, as well as providing much needed education for the patients and families about the child's illness and treatment plan. I am very fortunate to be able to spend a great deal of time with patients and their families, helping them learn how to advocate for themselves and how to incorporate their illness and treatment time into the rest of their lives. Needless to say, we develop quite a bond with these young boys and girls and their families. I truly love what I do!"

Another interesting part of Barbara's position is developing and implementing nursing policies and procedures related to the wide variety of medications they administer. Barbara explains, "Many of the medications are very new and have just received FDA approval, and others are being administered off-label. It is important for nurses to understand exactly what they are administering and what potential side effects to watch for. In addition, I have an interest in the use of complementary therapies, and I enjoy helping the Day Medicine Unit staff, patients, and families understand which complementary therapies might be helpful in a given situation."

Barbara graduated from Rutgers University School of Nursing more than 25 years ago and has always worked in pediatrics. In 1992, she became certified in pediatric nursing and has retained that certification. Barbara is an active member of AAACN, serving as the Chair of the Pediatric Special Interest Croup (SIG) and as the Co-Chair for two years prior. When Barbara was asked why being a member of AAACN was important to her, she replied, "he best thing about belonging to AAACN is the great people I have met and the opportunities it has provided for learning by networking with those people. I love attending the conferences and seeing what new written resources are available that I can bring back to my work unit."

Many AAACN products have helped Barbara in her work setting. After one of the conferences, she returned with the revised edition of the Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Care Nursing, which was used by the staff to study for the certification exam. In addition, the Pediatric SIG is using the Ambulatory Care Nursing Administration and Practice Standards as a foundation for the development of practice standards for pediatric nursing practice in the ambulatory setting. Barbara encourages all other pediatric nurses to join her as part of the AAACN Pediatric SIG. She states, "We are always looking for new members to share best practice and find out what others are doing in their pediatric facilities."

Barbara truly has a passion for her profession and for her work with children. She explains, "When you work in health care every day for most of your life, you tend to take some things for granted. We should never underestimate the impact that our words or actions may have on someone else. When you have the opportunity to see that little face grinning from ear to ear because they don't have to return for treatment anymore or because they feel so much better; there are no words to describe that feeling. I am very fortunate to be in a position where I can make things even a little better for someone else."

Nancy Spahr, MS, RN,C, MBA, CNS

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Ambulatory Care

Mayo Clinic, AZ

Copyright American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing Jan/Feb 2008
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