1. PARTNERING ACADEMIA AND CLINICAL PRACTICE BRIDGING THE GAP

2. THE NEED Community area hospitals identified the need for pediatric staff nurses to improve their knowledge and skills Community area hospitals identified the need to grow pediatric units to reduce the numbers of transfers of children out to larger pediatric facilities

3. THE PROBLEM Nurses in the community hospital setting have limited pediatric nursing experience and had the desire to seek further opportunities to improve their pediatric nursing skills Nurses in the community hospital setting have small pediatric units and experience varied patient census

4. THE SOLUTION Through a joint effort between HCA and LSC Corporate College funded by a grant, pediatric nursing faculty from Lone Star College-Kingwood would teach nurses in the community hospitals pediatric nursing content and skills The reward to LSC-Kingwood would be able to purchase pediatric simulation manikins to add to the LSC-Kingwood Hospital

8. PLANNING THE COURSE Identified areas of content to improve pediatric assessment, knowledge and skills were defined by the staff nurses Areas identified as needs were respiratory (asthma, croup syndromes, and respiratory assessment), allergic reactions, gastrointestinal (fluid and electrolytes, dehydration, appendicitis), child abuse, and end of life care

9. THE COURSE The review course was held on two separate days that included a total of 16 nurses in each eight hour session Activities rotated between the classroom and the simulation skills lab Skills were reviewed with hands on experience synonymously related to the didactic topic presented in the classroom

10. THE RESULTS A pre test was given at the beginning of the course. The most frequently missed questions on this test were about asthma assessment, characteristic of a sexually abused child, hypersensitivity reactions, and types of dehydration The post test given at the end of the course showed all of these questions answered correctly Evaluation of the course showed 65% of the participants rated the experience as a “4- completely satisfied, 1% rated a “3-almost satisfied” and the remainder rated a combination of 3s and 4s

11. PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS Conroe Regional Medical Center Kingwood Medical Center

12. FACULTY Mary Bjorklund, MSN, RN, CPN Doris Jackson, MSN, RN Lee Jerls, MSN, RN Diane Langton, MSN,PNP