The pediatric intensive care units of children’s hospitals are the setting for the extremes of human emotion. Within the span of a single day, PICU staff experience the relief of a young life saved, the devastation of a life lost and the elation of a life restored. The day-to-day demeanor of those professionals, and the spirit of the unit, depends on the types of people working there.
The spirit of the Covenant Children’s PICU in Lubbock stems from the dedication and high energy of its nurses.
“Our role is making sure that everyone — the patients, patients’ families and the staff — are well taken care of,” says Shannon Bates, nurse manager of Covenant’s PICU. “The nursing group sets the tone.”
Nurses put the “care” in Covenant Children’s pediatric intensive care unit.
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The upbeat tone of the PICU was what first attracted Bates to Covenant 16 years ago when she was still a nursing student. She had always been drawn to critical care, but she thought she’d end up in an adult ICU. Then one day, as part of her rotation, she shadowed a nurse in the PICU at Covenant. Bates witnessed the strength and fortitude of the nurse as she handled a critically ill child’s peritoneal dialysis while at the same time managing the youth’s ventilator and medications — all with a reassuring smile on her face.
“It was amazing to me,” says Bates. “I transferred to the PICU the next day.”
Bates started as a nurse technician in 2004. Through the years, she has worked her way up through staff nurse, charge nurse and educator. She has watched the hospital grow while all along falling deeper in love with the work. Nearly two decades later, as nurse manager, Bates is now the one getting requests from students who see nurses singing and holding impromptu dance circles in the hallways.
“It draws a very passionate group that want to work here,” she says. “I often get tons of students that come in and say, ‘This is where I want to be.'"
"Our role is making sure that everyone — the patients, the patients' families and the staff — are well taken care of."
Of course, the job isn’t all song and dance. Recently, despite the staff’s best efforts, a teenage girl died — but she was an organ donor. Bates and her staff worked with the bereaved family through the following hours to quickly locate and arrange the transplant of three organs. That same night, Bates found out when the young donor was going into surgery, and she and her staff scurried to arrange an Honor Walk. The girl’s family and friends and nearly the entire Covenant staff came after hours to line the hallway from the PICU to the operating room. They stood in silent reverence as the gurney rolled by in recognition of the girl’s sacrifice.
“To see the amount of compassion and passion poured into making it sacred, to honor her and her family’s decision … you walk out of those days feeling like you serve a purpose,” says Bates. “You feel like ‘I was meant to be here today.’”
The pediatric intensive care units of children’s hospitals are the setting for the extremes of human emotion. Within the span of a single day, PICU staff experience the relief of a young life saved, the devastation of a life lost and the elation of a life restored. The day-to-day demeanor of those professionals, and the spirit of the unit, depends on the types of people working there.
The spirit of the Covenant Children’s PICU in Lubbock stems from the dedication and high energy of its nurses.
“Our role is making sure that everyone — the patients, patients’ families and the staff — are well taken care of,” says Shannon Bates, nurse manager of Covenant’s PICU. “The nursing group sets the tone.”
The upbeat tone of the PICU was what first attracted Bates to Covenant 16 years ago when she was still a nursing student. She had always been drawn to critical care, but she thought she’d end up in an adult ICU. Then one day, as part of her rotation, she shadowed a nurse in the PICU at Covenant. Bates witnessed the strength and fortitude of the nurse as she handled a critically ill child’s peritoneal dialysis while at the same time managing the youth’s ventilator and medications — all with a reassuring smile on her face.
“It was amazing to me,” says Bates. “I transferred to the PICU the next day.”
Bates started as a nurse technician in 2004. Through the years, she has worked her way up through staff nurse, charge nurse and educator. She has watched the hospital grow while all along falling deeper in love with the work. Nearly two decades later, as nurse manager, Bates is now the one getting requests from students who see nurses singing and holding impromptu dance circles in the hallways.
“It draws a very passionate group that want to work here,” she says. “I often get tons of students that come in and say, ‘This is where I want to be.’”
Of course, the job isn’t all song and dance. Recently, despite the staff’s best efforts, a teenage girl died — but she was an organ donor. Bates and her staff worked with the bereaved family through the following hours to quickly locate and arrange the transplant of three organs. That same night, Bates found out when the young donor was going into surgery, and she and her staff scurried to arrange an Honor Walk. The girl’s family and friends and nearly the entire Covenant staff came after hours to line the hallway from the PICU to the operating room. They stood in silent reverence as the gurney rolled by in recognition of the girl’s sacrifice.
“To see the amount of compassion and passion poured into making it sacred, to honor her and her family’s decision … you walk out of those days feeling like you serve a purpose,” says Bates. “You feel like ‘I was meant to be here today.’”
The upbeat tone of the PICU was what first attracted Bates to Covenant 16 years ago when she was still a nursing student. She had always been drawn to critical care, but she thought she’d end up in an adult ICU. Then one day, as part of her rotation, she shadowed a nurse in the PICU at Covenant. Bates witnessed the strength and fortitude of the nurse as she handled a critically ill child’s peritoneal dialysis while at the same time managing the youth’s ventilator and medications — all with a reassuring smile on her face.
“It was amazing to me,” says Bates. “I transferred to the PICU the next day.”
Bates started as a nurse technician in 2004. Through the years, she has worked her way up through staff nurse, charge nurse and educator. She has watched the hospital grow while all along falling deeper in love with the work. Nearly two decades later, as nurse manager, Bates is now the one getting requests from students who see nurses singing and holding impromptu dance circles in the hallways.
“It draws a very passionate group that want to work here,” she says. “I often get tons of students that come in and say, ‘This is where I want to be.’”
Of course, the job isn’t all song and dance. Recently, despite the staff’s best efforts, a teenage girl died — but she was an organ donor. Bates and her staff worked with the bereaved family through the following hours to quickly locate and arrange the transplant of three organs. That same night, Bates found out when the young donor was going into surgery, and she and her staff scurried to arrange an Honor Walk. The girl’s family and friends and nearly the entire Covenant staff came after hours to line the hallway from the PICU to the operating room. They stood in silent reverence as the gurney rolled by in recognition of the girl’s sacrifice.
“To see the amount of compassion and passion poured into making it sacred, to honor her and her family’s decision … you walk out of those days feeling like you serve a purpose,” says Bates. “You feel like ‘I was meant to be here today.’”