Things move fast in the pediatric emergency room at Covenant Children’s. As the only pediatric ER in the region with a pediatric trauma designation, Covenant Children’s is the destination for almost every suddenly ill or injured child in Lubbock and the city’s vast rural surroundings. Whether a kid gets sick in the city or hurt in a farming accident in the fields of West Texas or eastern New Mexico, they are rushed to Covenant Children’s, where they get the best care as quickly as possible before either being sent home or dispatched to another department in the hospital for further treatment.
But the child’s brief stay in the pediatric ER doesn’t mean there isn’t a powerful connection between the caregivers and their patients.
“We care so much about the ‘kiddos,’” says Laura Valdez, nurse manager in the pediatric ER. “We’re at their bedside. We pray with them. When it’s appropriate, we hold them and hug them when the news is good. We cry with them when something devastating happens. We don’t have a lot of time with them, but we make the most of that time, that quick bond, and we are with the patient and their family in that moment.”
Covenant Children's ER: Where quick and lasting connections are made.
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That bond is built on the trust that no matter the circumstances, the child is receiving the best possible care. The Covenant Children’s ER is designated as a Level II pediatric trauma center. That means it has 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, along with access to pediatric specialists in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. The Level II designation also means that the hospital participates in a comprehensive quality assessment program and that the staff goes through continuing education programs.
"We care so much about the kiddos. We don't have a lot of time with them, but we make the most out of that time."
But in the Covenant Children’s ER, the staff adds a deeply personal touch to their work — regardless of the circumstances. Often a child is brought in, stabilized and moved on before the caregivers have a chance to even meet the family. Sometimes the child is unconscious for the duration, so the staff can’t even interact with the patient. Regardless, the caregivers still often check up with other parts of the hospital to see how those patients came out.
For instance, after one family lost their child, the staff sat in the room with the child’s family while they waited for a relative coming in from out of town. The charge nurse
arranged to have lunch brought in for everyone. Staff listened to the family tell stories about the child. And when the mother had to leave for a minute, she pleaded with one of the nurses to hold her child in her absence. The nurse obliged, sitting and rocking the child until the mother returned.
“We share such a special bond with the patients and their families,” says Valdez. “That nurse made a promise to the mom that she wouldn’t leave the child.”
Even during the current pandemic, when physical contact is less of an option, the Covenant Children’s staff work that much harder to build an emotional connection that will help the young patient and their family weather the most difficult medical situations.
“We become very protective of them when they’re with us,” says Valdez. “As parents ourselves, we understand that that could be our own child at any moment.”
Things move fast in the pediatric emergency room at Covenant Children’s. As the only PDER in the region with a pediatric trauma designation, Covenant Children’s is the destination for almost every suddenly ill or injured child in Lubbock and the city’s vast rural surroundings. Whether a kid gets sick in the city or hurt in a farming accident in the fields of West Texas or eastern New Mexico, they are rushed to Covenant Children’s, where they get the best care as quickly as possible before either being sent home or dispatched to another department in the hospital for further treatment.
But the child’s brief stay in the PDER doesn’t mean there isn’t a powerful connection between the caregivers and their patients.
“We care so much about the ‘kiddos,’” says Laura Valdez, nurse manager in the PDER. “We’re at their bedside. We pray with them. When it’s appropriate, we hold them and hug them when the news is good. We cry with them when something devastating happens. We don’t have a lot of time with them, but we make the most of that time, that quick bond, and we are with the patient and their family in that moment.”
That bond is built on the trust that no matter the circumstances, the child is receiving the best possible care. The Covenant Children’s ER is designated as a Level II pediatric trauma center. That means it has 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, along with access to pediatric specialists in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. The Level II designation also means that the hospital participates in a comprehensive quality assessment program and that the staff goes through continuing education programs.
But in the Covenant Children’s ER, the staff adds a deeply personal touch to their work — regardless of the circumstances. Often a child is brought in, stabilized and moved on before the caregivers have a chance to even meet the family. Sometimes the child is unconscious for the duration, so the staff can’t even interact with the patient. Regardless, the caregivers still often check up with other parts of the hospital to see how those patients came out.
For instance, after one family lost their child, the staff sat in the room with the child’s family while they waited for a relative coming in from out of town. The charge nurse arranged to have lunch brought in for everyone. Staff listened to the family tell stories about the child. And when the mother had to leave for a minute, she pleaded with one of the nurses to hold her child in her absence. The nurse obliged, sitting and rocking the child until the mother returned.
“We share such a special bond with the patients and their families,” says Valdez. “That nurse made a promise to the mom that she wouldn’t leave the child.”
Even during the current pandemic, when physical contact is less of an option, the Covenant Children’s staff work that much harder to build an emotional connection that will help the young patient and their family weather the most difficult medical situations.
“We become very protective of them when they’re with us,” says Valdez. “As parents ourselves, we understand that that could be our own child at any moment.”
That bond is built on the trust that no matter the circumstances, the child is receiving the best possible care. The Covenant Children’s ER is designated as a Level II pediatric trauma center. That means it has 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, along with access to pediatric specialists in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. The Level II designation also means that the hospital participates in a comprehensive quality assessment program and that the staff goes through continuing education programs.
But in the Covenant Children’s ER, the staff adds a deeply personal touch to their work — regardless of the circumstances. Often a child is brought in, stabilized and moved on before the caregivers have a chance to even meet the family. Sometimes the child is unconscious for the duration, so the staff can’t even interact with the patient. Regardless, the caregivers still often check up with other parts of the hospital to see how those patients came out.
For instance, after one family lost their child, the staff sat in the room with the child’s family while they waited for a relative coming in from out of town. The charge nurse arranged to have lunch brought in for everyone. Staff listened to the family tell stories about the child. And when the mother had to leave for a minute, she pleaded with one of the nurses to hold her child in her absence. The nurse obliged, sitting and rocking the child until the mother returned.
“We share such a special bond with the patients and their families,” says Valdez. “That nurse made a promise to the mom that she wouldn’t leave the child.”
Even during the current pandemic, when physical contact is less of an option, the Covenant Children’s staff work that much harder to build an emotional connection that will help the young patient and their family weather the most difficult medical situations.
“We become very protective of them when they’re with us,” says Valdez. “As parents ourselves, we understand that that could be our own child at any moment.”