Professional development
Texas Children's meets the needs of both the recent graduate and the experienced professional through its clinical training and development programs. The hospital's excellence in nurse training was recognized with a Magnet Award in 2003.

Collaborative training and development programs
Nurses can attend designated courses with pediatric nurses from other Houston-area hospitals. The courses are developed collaboratively and are designed to meet the common learning needs of nurses caring for infants and children. Nurses may also gain professional experience through participation in specialized work committees.


Grand Rounds
Each year, several renowned nursing scholars are brought to Texas Children's to present nursing grand rounds and to conduct teaching rounds with nursing staff.

Learning Academy
Nurses can participate in a variety of training and development programs sponsored by the hospital's in-house Learning Academy. The Learning Academy offers programs to help employees excel in organizational and job-specific skills.

Multi-Disciplinary Training Center
Nurses have access to a specially designed pediatric lab to learn new technical skills. They can practice skills on pediatric mannequins in a lab setting with a preceptor or educator.

S.T.E.P. (Students Transitioning Effectively into Practice)
Nursing students may participate in an innovative collaborative work-study and scholarship program between Texas Children's and baccalaureate schools of nursing. This program provides increased clinical exposure for students working as patient care assistants. Students receive academic credit, a salary and a scholarship.

Nursing Research Scholars Program
The Nursing Research Scholars Program teaches nurses research skills that enable them to conduct clinical research projects. The program begins with a research course during the fall that provides either CEUs or graduate school
credit hours. The class is held each Wednesday from 3 - 6 p.m., September - December. The scholars program continues during the spring (January - May) by meeting every other week on Thursdays from 8 - 9:30 a.m. to continue work on the scholars' research project.

Nursing Sabbaticals
Established in 2003, the Nursing Sabbatical Program provides two registered nurses with paid leave to complete a project designed to enhance patient care and improve organizational performance. Read more about the first recipients of the sabbatical awards

Continuing education credits
Texas Children's Hospital is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. These activities meet Type I criteria for mandatory continuing education requirements toward re-licensure as established by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.

To read more: Texas Children's Hospital

This article is taken with thanks to Texas Children's Hospital.