Celebrating Great 100 Nurse Rebecca Brovina, BSN, RN, CPN: Changing Lives through Research and Listening

By Victoria Scheuer

Growing up, Rebecca Brovina always wanted to be a nurse, just like her grandma. “I have always dreamed of being as successful and cool as she was,” Brovina said. Now, many would say, she is living up to that.

Rebecca Brovina, BSN, RN, CPN, Research Nurse Coordinator at Cook Children’s Pulmonology - Prosper, was just recently awarded the Great 100 Nurses for 2025, highlighting her outstanding contributions in her field.

Nurses are nominated for this award by family members, patients, peers, former teachers, physicians, and administrators. Over the past 34 years, this award has become recognized throughout the nursing community in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex as an esteemed honor and prestigious accomplishment.

Rebecca's journey began in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she worked closely with John Robertson, M.D. Dr. Robertson was starting research focused on understanding and treating exercise-induced respiratory disorders, and when Rebecca heard about it, her interest was immediately piqued. She almost instantly became a vital part of this dedicated research team.

“Rebecca’s superpowers are intelligence, creativity, empathy, and humor, in equal overflowing measure,” Dr. Robertson said. 

These disorders often lead young athletes to quit sports, which can significantly impact their self-confidence. Rebecca vividly recalls a patient who had to quit all her sports due to an undiagnosed condition and suffered a massive blow to her self-confidence. She found no answers until she visited the Cook Children's Exercise Respiratory Center in Prosper. Rebecca remembers witnessing the relief they experienced when they finally felt heard. As the patient's parent put it, "We finally feel like someone listened to us.”

In February 2025, Rebecca received first place in the 2025 Research Poster Presentation Master's Level at the Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. The presentation, Estimating Minute Ventilation and Inspiratory Flow to Trigger Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) in Pediatric Patients, also led to the team's first published abstract.

At the exercise respiratory center in Prosper, no two days are exactly the same for Rebecca; there is always a unique blend of patient interaction, education and research. One of her primary roles is educating patients prior to their appointments and administering research surveys. Her work often involves looking for a connection between respiration disorders and other neurological conditions. Rebecca is also heavily involved in writing protocols, giving presentations, and videoing the end of procedures.

The respiratory clinic also uses a method that is only employed in three places in the country. In this method, a scope is inserted through the nose and down into the back of the throat while the patient is running on the treadmill. This novel approach helps discover dynamic changes in the airway that occur during exercise. This cutting-edge and unique approach is something Rebecca loves about her job.

“My favorite part of research is being able to develop things and actually be able to help people,” Rebecca said.

Rebecca’s motivation and her “why” stems from a deeply personal place. Having experienced health challenges herself, including worsening asthma and a spinal cord injury, she understands firsthand how not being able to do the one thing you love can impact a child. Rebecca is so passionate about her job because, as she said, she understands "how mentally and physically damaging it is to not be able to do the one thing that keeps you sane.”

Throughout her career as a nurse, she has also witnessed firsthand, patients not receiving the care they deserve, often due to insurance problems. This fueled her desire to change how people are cared for, develop new solutions, and truly help. Rebecca’s passion can be seen in every interaction and shows her commitment to getting patients back to doing what they love.

“I wrote my thesis on discharge delays," Rebecca said. "I would see kids who would have extended hospital stays simply trying to get the gear and medicine they need.”

Rebecca has truly loved her experience at Prosper. She has relished the opportunity to be a part of opening a brand-new hospital. She contributed to the organization of hospital departments and helped figure out staffing and roles. She says that being part of some of the first research initiatives at Prosper and building something from the ground has been incredibly cool and rewarding, even throughout all of the roadblocks.

Rebecca is driven by her patients, a fact evident in each of her interactions. She is dedicated and passionate about what she does. Congratulations on this very well-deserved award!