Nursing at Nationwide Children's
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in nursing at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Among the many things that make Nationwide Children's special, it is our people who make the biggest impact. Every day, I have the privilege of seeing nurses provide exceptional care with compassion, expertise and an unwavering commitment to children and families. Whether at the bedside, in our ambulatory settings, or throughout the community, our nurses work together in all settings to achieve the best possible outcomes for those we serve.
We are committed to supporting our nurses through professional development, evidence-based practice, innovation, wellness programs and shared decision-making because we know that when nurses thrive, our patients and families benefit.
Nationwide Children's has proudly maintained ANCC Magnet® designation since 2005, becoming the first children's hospital in Ohio to earn this prestigious recognition. As we prepare to submit for our sixth consecutive Magnet® designation, we celebrate this incredible legacy. Magnet® is considered the gold standard for nursing excellence, and only about 10% of hospitals nationwide have achieved this distinction.
I am incredibly proud of the culture we have built together, one where every voice matters, every person is respected and every child and family receives exceptional care. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about nursing at Nationwide Children's. I invite you to explore the opportunities available and discover how you can make a meaningful difference as part of our team.
Best Regards,
Tara Floyd, MPH, BSN, RN, NE-BC
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer
Nationwide Children's Hospital
A New Strategic Plan for Nursing
A new strategic plan was developed to provide direction for the future of Nursing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The plan was developed by nurses representing all professional paths and clinical areas across the organization. The vision is to develop all nurses as leaders in their professional practice, recognize their unique contributions and provide the infrastructure to support a healthy work environment. To meet this vision, the plan has four main aims:
- The first is to recognize nursing’s unique contribution in achieving and leading to best outcomes for our patients and families across the many and diverse practice settings.
- The second is to create an infrastructure to support an environment in which our nurses can grow, thrive and advance their practice.
- The third centers around maximizing the professional practice environment for our nurses, an environment that supports nurses practicing at the top of their scope, measuring and reporting your direct contribution to patient outcomes, expanding opportunities for fellowships and professional advancement, and the development of a formal structure for nursing research.
- We know our aspirational vision for nursing can only happen through our final aim around ongoing recruitment and retention of the best and the brightest.
Our vision is to develop all nurses as leaders in their professional practice, recognize their unique contribution in achieving best outcomes for patients and families, and provide the infrastructure to support a healthy work environment.
The Center for Nursing Excellence
The Center for Nursing Excellence was formed in response to the new Nursing Strategic Plan, from the department of Professional Development. Currently, the Center has five major foci. The first is the education of nurses on their professional path. This education includes everything from orientation and transition to a new role to expert education to help them develop on one of four professional paths: expert practitioner, leadership, education or clinical inquiry.
A second focus is nursing research, innovation and evidence-based practice. Team members in this area focus on developing new knowledge for nursing practice, basing practice on evidence, and creating opportunities for nurses to learn and conduct clinical inquiry within the organization.
The next focus of the Center is nursing recognition. The purpose of this focus is to track nursing outcomes and celebrate nursing achievement through Magnet, nurse-sensitive indicators, and nursing celebrations such as Nurses’ Month.
Nursing Student Experience is the next focus, and this team works with student placement and creating an excellent experience for students to learn and develop into professional nurses. This includes working with our academic partners to develop innovative models of learning.
The final focus is on nursing knowledge resources. Our interdisciplinary library is a part of this team, but the future goal is to develop a repository of pediatric nursing knowledge to guide nursing standards and practices around family-centered nursing care.
Everything Matters: In Patient Care
View the latest issue of Everything Matters: In Patient Care, where we celebrate nursing excellence at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Points of Pride: Our National Presence as Forerunners
- Gail Bagwell, DNP, APRN, CNS, FNAP, FAAN, Past President, National Association of Neonatal Nurses
- Alice Bass, MS, APRN, HPNA, Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing
- Amy Donegan, MS, APRN, Developed an Assessment-Based Certificate Accreditation Program, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Nursing
- Vicki Guinther, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, FAAN, Editor-in-Chief, Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing
- Stephanie Hosley, APRN, Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice
- Amanda Justice, BSN, RN, Award of Excellence – Hospice from the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice
- Erin Keels, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, President, Ohio Board of Nursing
- Vonda Keels-Lowe, MSN, CPN, APRN-CNP, Executive Director to Youth Suicide Prevention Position Workgroup Steering Committee
- Cathleen Opperman, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, Editorial Board, Nurses in Professional Development
- Sharon Wrona, DNP, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Past President, American Society for Pain Management Nursing & Current Treasurer, American Society for Pain Management Nursing
- Lee Ann Wurster, MS, RN, TCRN, CPNP-PC, President, Ohio Society of Trauma Nurse Leaders
2024 Daisy Award Winners
Individual Winners
- Kelly Lilienthal, C4B
- Natasha Wolf, H2B
- Lydnsay Martinelli, H9A
- Jed Peren, C5A
- Logan Stover, Wound/Ostomy
Health Equity Daisy Award
- Aja Whatley-Canales, Fetal Services
Team Daisy Award
- Tiffany Hahn, C4C
- Victoria Savoie-Dillon, C4C
- Lisa Smothers, C4C
What is Clinical Inquiry?
Clinical inquiry is the practice of asking questions about procedures and information to gain knowledge, improve care and share findings — Research, Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Innovation.
- Researchapplies quantitative or qualitative methods to create new knowledge to advance science and contribute evidence.
- EBPseeks and applies the best clinical and practice evidence to patient care.
- Clinical innovation develops new solutions to clinical or organizational problems that can be disseminated commercially.
Nurse Scientist
Laura Beth Kalvas, PhD, RN, is a Nurse Scientist in the Center for Nursing Excellence and Associate Faculty in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Kalvas received her BSN, MS and PhD from The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Her program of research focuses on nurse-led interventions that improve outcomes for critically ill children and their families, with a specific interest in circadian rhythm dysregulation, delirium and post-intensive care syndrome. Her focus area for clinician-initiated projects is acute and critical care nursing.
Kylie Dougherty, PhD, RN, is a Nurse Scientist in the Center for Nursing Excellence at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Associate Faculty in the Center for Child Health Outcomes Research in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. She also serves as affiliate faculty at The Ohio State University College of Nursing and an adjunct lecturer at Rice University. Her research focuses on improving maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health through implementation science, health systems strengthening and quality improvement. Her focus area for clinician-initiated projects is Mother and Baby, including the NICU and Fetal Center.
Samantha Boch, PhD, MS, RN, is a Nurse Scientist and Principal Investigator in the Center for Nursing Excellence and Center for Child Health Outcomes Research in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is also an affiliated faculty member at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing and The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Her research focuses on the social influences of health, with a particular interest in understanding and mitigating the effects of incarceration, community violence and other social risk factors on children and families. Her focus area for clinician-initiated projects is health justice.
Stephanie Hosley, DNP, APRN-CNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, FNAP
Stephanie Hosley, DNP, APRN-CNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, FNAP, is a pediatric nurse practitioner in Complex Care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her clinical and scholarly work includes caring for children with complex and neurodevelopmental needs, with experience in evidence-based practice and quality improvement. Her focus areas for clinician-initiated projects are health equity, children with neurodevelopmental disorders, evidence-based practice, ambulatory nursing and advanced nursing practice.
Cailin Coane, BA
Cailin Coane began her career at Nationwide Children’s as a library services specialist in the Medical Library in September 2019. In January 2022, she became a clinical research coordinator in the Center for Nursing Excellence and coordinates nurse-led clinical projects. She also writes narratives for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet® designation for nursing.
Professional Pathways
Orientation Programming
- LAUNCH
- UAP
Professional Path: Expert Leader
- Courses
- Mentorship
- TTP
Professional Path: Expert Educator
- Courses
- Mentorship
- TTP
- Educator/Symposia
Educator Forum
- Professional Development
- Unit Educators
- External Educators (i.e. Schools of Nursing)
Professional Path: Expert APP* Clinician
- Fellowship
- Courses
- Mentorship
Professional Path: Expert RN Clinician
- New Grad/Residency
- And Academy*
- 2nd Year Program*
- RN Fellowship*
- Novice to Expert Education
- Preceptor/Mentorship
Continuing Education
- Joint Accreditation/Cloud CME
- Professional Certifications
* Planned Development
Nationwide Children’s Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) are an important part of the interdisciplinary care team. They have a great degree of autonomy within their collaborative relationships with physicians, surgeons and other subspecialty team members with whom they work. Our team of specialized advanced practice providers include:
- 371 nurse practitioners (NP)
- 111 neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP)
- 47 certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA)
- 33 psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP)
- 31 physician assistants (PA)
- 3 clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Our team of more than 600 APPs work in a variety of care areas, both in outpatient clinic and inpatient hospital settings including acute care, anesthesia, behavioral health, medical specialty care, primary care, school health and more.
Learn More about Advanced Practice Provider Careers
Health Equity
Nursing Students: For Our Future Nurses
Nationwide Children’s Hospital partners with more than 50 nursing schools to provide educational experiences for nursing students. In the past year, more than 1,800 nursing students gained firsthand pediatric nursing experience here.
The Professional Development Department offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate nursing student placements.
To be eligible for an undergraduate placement at Nationwide Children's, you must be attending one of the affiliated programs listed below:
- Ashland University - Dwight Schar College of Nursing (BSN/Grad)
- Aspen University (RN-BSN/Grad)
- Benedictine University (Graduate)
- Capital University (BSN/Grad)
- Case Western Reserve (Graduate)
- Central Ohio Technical College (ADN)
- Chamberlain College of Nursing (BSN/Grad)
- Chatham University (Graduate)
- Columbus State Community College (ADN)
- Drexel University (Graduate)
- Fitchburg State University (Graduate)
- Franklin University (Graduate)
- Frontier Nursing University (Graduate)
- George Mason University (Graduate)
- Georgetown University (Graduate)
- Grand Canyon University (Graduate)
- Hocking College (ADN)
- Indiana State University (Graduate)
- Indiana Wesleyan University (Graduate)
- Kent State University (Graduate)
- Liberty University (Graduate)
- Marion Technical College (ADN)
- Maryville University (Graduate)
- Miami University (BSN, RN-BSN)
- Mt Carmel College of Nursing (BSN/Grad)
- Mt Saint Joseph University (Grad/DNP)
- Mt Vernon Nazarene University (BSN)
- Muskingum University (BSN)
- North Central State College (ADN)
- Ohio Northern University (BSN)
- Ohio University- Athens (BSN/Grad)
- Ohio University- Chillicothe (ADN)
- Ohio University- Zanesville (ADN)
- Otterbein University (BSN/Grad)
- Purdue University (Graduate)
- Regis University (Graduate)
- Rush University (Graduate)
- Texas Tech University (Graduate)
- The Ohio State University (BSN/Grad)
- University of Akron (Graduate)
- University of Alabama - Birmingham (Graduate)
- University of Cincinnati (Graduate)
- University of Colorado - Denver (Graduate)
- University of Montana (Grad/DNP)
- University of South Alabama (Graduate)
- University of Southern Indiana (Graduate)
- University of Toledo (Graduate)
- Vanderbilt University (Graduate)
- West Virginia University (Graduate)
- Wheeling Jesuit University (Graduate)
- Wittenberg University (BSN)
- Wright State University (BSN/Grad)
- Xavier University (Graduate)
Every Story Matters
“When I started off at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I was a volunteer and then became a Patient Care Assistant on that same unit. While being a PCA, I would work with our kids who would transfer to our psychiatric unit. I would often sit with the kids for eight to twelve hours playing cards, watching movies and exploring their lives that lead them into this acute or long-standing mental health crisis. The concept of building rapport, gaining their trust and being empathetic and how that impacts a patient’s care all truly called me to nursing.”
Kwasi Minta, Charge RN, Behavioral Health
“My older sister became a nurse and worked in the NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I would listen to her stories and all the amazing experiences she had with these babies and their families every day, and I immediately knew I wanted to go down the same path. My favorite part about this job is the interactions you get to have with the kiddos daily. They are hilarious and have such big personalities."
Molly McClanahan, Ambulatory RN, Urology Clinic
“Working for Partners For Kids is the toughest but most rewarding experience I’ve had to date in my nursing career. The most important thing I learned is that nursing is more than taking vitals and administering medications. It’s about changing patients’ lives for the better.”
Adama Diallo, RN Care Coordinator, Partners For Kids
Find Your Passion, Pursue Your Purpose
Nurses and advance practice providers are on the front lines of health care every day. At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, those front lines treat more than 1.7 million patients, from all 50 states and around the globe, every year. Join the more than 14,000 people at Nationwide Children’s who work everyday to make lives better for kids.
