The medical center didn’t just hit the benchmarks, but exceeded them, to achieve Magnet with Distinction^TM. Fewer than 2% of the nation’s 6,093 hospitals have achieved Magnet® designation at least five times, according to data from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and fewer than five children’s hospitals in the world have received the recognition five times in a row.

“Nurses are the number one care providers at the bedside in the nation and certainly at Cook Children’s,” Kaylan Branson, Director of Nursing Quality & Magnet Designation, said. “It feels great to recognize the nurses who do this day in and day out. This recognition is a validation of their hard work.”

The Magnet® Recognition Program is the gold standard in nursing excellence and validation of high-quality patient outcomes. Research shows Magnet® hospitals have increased patient satisfaction, decreased length of hospitalizations, and lower mortality rates, as well as above average nurse-satisfaction and retention rates.

Only a select few hospitals are granted the designation “with distinction.” According to ANCC, these hospitals “serve as exemplary role models for nursing excellence and for creating an environment of care that improves patient outcomes.”

“Everything that goes into magnet designation is recognizing nursing excellence; and a huge part of that is patient outcomes,” Nursing Excellence and Wellbeing Manager Ora Asheton said. “So, everything we’re being recognized for is about the outcomes we have for patients and patient families.”

Consideration for Magnet® designation is a rigorous process, which includes providing more than 100 examples of nursing excellence, participation from nursing staff across nearly 70 departments and an onsite visit. Cook Children’s submitted 3,000 pages of evidence that it not only meets the designation’s criteria, but surpasses them.

Hospitals must re-apply for the designation every four years, and Cook Children’s has been recognized consistently since 2006. The requirements become more strenuous each time, Cheryl Petersen, Chief Nursing Officer said, meaning Cook Children’s has to showcase how it has grown, evolved and improved.

“To stand there and hear from the commissioner is anticipation and excitement, it's like waiting for lottery numbers to be drawn. Except you have more belief that your numbers will come up because of all the work you’ve put in,” Peterson said.

The designation is a powerful testament to Cook Children’s excellence, but Peterson said Cook Children’s is not content with simply reaching that summit; it's committed to continue exceeding all expectations.

Here at Cook Children’s, we’re all about service. We give ourselves to the community, to children in need and to something greater than ourselves. Last week, Cook Children’s had the honor to witness a unique reminder of that call to serve.

Crystal Prince, RN, is from Mesquite and has been a nurse with Cook Children’s since 2006. On April 4, she swore an oath to take that nursing expertise to the U.S. Air Force. And she did it surrounded by her Cook Children’s family underneath the blue peaks.

Crystal first thought about joining the Air Force after college but decided on nursing instead. She started working at Cook Children’s in 2006 and moved to a position at Cook Children's - Prosper in 2023. Her supervisor, Prosper’s Director of Nursing and Patient Care Stefanie Tanner, described Crystal as “even keeled” and “the calm in the storm.”

While at Prosper, Crystal met Shalay Stancle, RN. Shalay has worked at Cook Children’s for 14 years but is also a critical care nurse and lieutenant in the Air Force. She has been deployed twice and worked on the Ground Service Team, which helps treat injured troops on the ground.

Crystal was able to ask Shalay all her questions about enlisting, and soon their other coworkers started to show Crystal support as well to go after her long-held dream.

When Crystal decided to at last fulfill her Air Force calling, it was only fitting that Shalay should sponsor her and be the one to swear her in. Crystal decided she wanted the swearing in ceremony, which often happens at a recruitment office, to take place at Cook Children.

Crystal was nervous as people began to take their seats in the Medical Center atrium. She said later that more people than she thought would be there; not only her friends, family (including her two sons) and coworkers attended, but at least a dozen members of Cook Children’s Veteran’s Group joined to show their support.

Sherry Foster, an Executive Assistant in the Strategic Marketing and Communications Department, served in the Coast Guard for four years. Sherry is the chair of Cook Children’s Veterans Group and said being able to share and witness the event with Crystal was an honor.

“For Crystal to want to share this with her Cook Children’s family just means so much for me; not only as an employee but also as a veteran,” Sherry said.

Stan Davis, President of Cook Children’s Medical Center, gave opening remarks, commending Crystal on her service to Cook Children’s and for her future service in the Air Force. Mr. Davis served in the Air Force for 21 years.

“Here at Cook Children’s, we have a promise,” Mr. Davis said. “This oath is similar to our promise at an elevated level. It talks about committing to defending our country and being on the front lines -- no matter what.”

Jennifer Hayes, MDiv, BCC, Director of Pastoral Care, led the group in a prayer, and the official swearing in began.

Shalay recited the declaration of “true faith and allegiance” to the United States and its people, and Crystal repeated the words back. Shalay said it was difficult to hold back tears during the ceremony. She was reminded of her own journey in the Air Force, and she felt honored to be able to swear in another woman into the service.

“As women, we carry a lot on our shoulders. You have to have a lot of grace, you’re taken away from your little ones, your family. You have to put your superwoman suit on. And as a woman, you go through the trying times when you're deployed in a predominantly male field,” Shalay said. “And myself, I've experienced that. And without the grace of God, I wouldn't be here.”

Afterwards, Crystal thanked everyone who attended, especially her family and children. Her two boys, 14 and 16 years old, watched their mom from the front row.

“It feels truly fitting to hold this ceremony here at work, where my colleagues and management have been here for me every step of the way during my journey,” Crystal said.

Crystal said the ceremony “felt like a family of people telling me good luck and congratulations.”

On Monday, Crystal began her eight weeks of officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. After that, she will head to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where her family will join her.

“I want to be a role model for my kids and show them they can do anything, at any age, at any time,” Crystal said. “They just have to work hard for it.”

We wish Crystal the best of luck and thank her for her service to Cook Children's and our country.

Mark your calendar for the 34^th Annual School Nurse Symposium, which will take place June 12-13, 2025! This event will provide school nurses from across the U.S. with an opportunity to learn about the latest health care practices and education.

The webcast last year had 1,680 attendees from 10 states, and this year will be the first in-person conference since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to network and meet other nurses and medical professionals!

“We’re excited to have school nurses on the Cook Children’s campus,” meeting and event coordinator Danielle Allsbrook said.  “We have a great lineup of speakers this year. We are expecting to sell out fast, so make sure you register early!”

To ensure accessibility for nurses located outside of the Fort Worth area, the two-day symposium will be livestreamed. 

“With the virtual option, we are able to make a positive impact for the betterment of pediatric healthcare not only in Tarrant County but in cities and states from a variety of regions,” said Leigh Ann Campbell, MSN, RN, CPN, School Nurse Symposium planning committee chair. 

The conference will provide the opportunity to learn from the leading experts in pediatric care and student health. We’ll examine emerging health trends that impact students and discuss evidence-based practices in the school clinical setting to improve patient outcomes. Topics will include life threatening events at schools, behavioral health, sports injuries, diabetes in children and much more. 

This year, our second day will cover diabetes education for school nurses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Diabetes Statistics Report, diabetes is relatively common in children, affecting about 35 in every 10,000 children and adolescents in the United States. Cook Children’s clinics combined also have over 8,000 diabetes encounters per year including mental health counseling, nutrition counseling and classes in English and Spanish.

A Sneak Peek at Conference Topics 
Throughout the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to attend more than a dozen presentations including:

• Acute life-threatening events at school with Ben Olsson, D.O., and Jonathan Nedrelow, M.D.
• Sports related concussions: Evaluation and management in pediatrics and adolescents with Nicole Pitts, D.O., Cook Children’s—Prosper
• Drug exposure in the student population with Donna Wright, MSN, APRN, CPNP, CP-SANE, and Sergeant Scott Banes, Fort Worth Police Department
• Pediatric depression: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment with Kia Carter, M.D.
• Supporting students with autism with Zelime Elibol, M.D., and Duy Le, BCBA
• Navigating diabetes care in schools with Susan Hsieh, M.D., and Candice Williams, APNP, Cook Children’s
• Keeping diabetics safe at school, it’s the law! with Crystal Woodward, MPS, American Diabetes Association

What Past Attendees Are Saying About the Symposium

• "This is my favorite continuing education every year! It is always very relevant and you always have the best speakers!”
• "Great presenters with great information! I look forward to this annual conference.”
• "This was my first time watching and I learned so much. I will be watching it again. I learned so much valuable information that I could have used during the first couple of years of school nursing. I look forward to watching it next year. Thank you!”
• “I have been attending this symposium for the past several years, and I always look forward to it. It just seems to get better every year. Thank you for the resources and education that you provide for school nurses!”
• "This was one of the best School Nurse Symposiums I have attended. Every topic was interesting and applicable.”

Register Now!

• Registration for In-Person Event
  • Day 1 (June 12)
  • Day 2 (June 13)
• Registration for Virtual Event
  • Day 1 (June 12)
  • Day 2 (June 13)

Ongoing Webinars

Don’t forget to check out our school nurse resources. We have webinars available throughout the year.

Have Questions?

Email Danielle Allsbrook, meeting and event coordinator at Danielle.Allsbrook@cookchildrens.org. 

We can’t wait to see you this summer!

The Magnet^® Recognition Program is the gold standard in nursing excellence and validation of high quality patient outcomes. Research shows Magnet^® hospitals have increased patient satisfaction, decreased length of hospitalizations, and lower mortality rates, as well as above average nurse-satisfaction and retention rates.

“This recognition is another example of the incredible culture of excellence at Cook Children’s,” said Nancy Cychol, chief of hospital services and affiliate ventures at Cook Children’s Medical Center. “Our nurses go above and beyond every day to elevate the experience for our patients, families, and staff.”

Only 8% of the approximately 6,000 hospitals in the U.S. are Magnet^® designated. Cook Children’s is the first freestanding children’s hospital in North Texas to receive its fourth consecutive designation. Fewer than 1% of hospitals receive Magnet^® recognition four times in a row, ranking Cook Children’s among an elite group of high performing medical centers. Hospitals must re-apply for the designation every four years. Cook Children’s has been recognized consistently since 2006.

Consideration for Magnet^®  designation is a rigorous process, which included providing more than 100 examples of nursing excellence at Cook Children’s, participation from nursing staff across nearly 70 departments, as well as an onsite visit, which was virtual due to COVID-19. Evaluators were particularly impressed with Cook Children’s highly competitive nurse residency program, outpatient clinics, and Heart Center.

“It’s important to realize that every single example of nursing excellence provided to the ANCC was above the call of duty. These were programs, processes, and curriculum developed by nurses to move the needle on quality and safety outcomes,” said Cheryl Petersen, chief nursing officer at Cook Children’s. “This is what sets Magnet^® hospitals apart from other hospitals. It is acknowledgment of forward-thinking innovation, research, and high-level training. We are so proud of what our nurses continue to achieve.”

Clark couldn’t resist. Just like all the times she’s spent playing with some of the long-term ventilated patient population, actually getting on the floor mats along with the children. She says this helps keep her grounded in Cook Children’s nursing philosophy of caring.

It’s that attitude that helps someone like Clark stand out and be named as one of the 2015 DFW Great 100 Nurses, sponsored by DFW Great 100 Nurses Inc.

Clark was one of four Cook Children’s nurses named to the DFW Great 100, along with Melissa Irving, Bernadette Kelly and Elizabeth Leper.

The nurses were chosen based on the following categories - role model, leadership qualities, service to the community, compassionate caregiver and significant contributions.

Here’s a glimpse of the nomination letters sent on behalf of the recipients:

Melissa Irving, Teddy Bear Transport, Neonatal Transport Nurse

Melissa has been a member of the Teddy Bear Transport team since1985. Melissa was one of the first team members; she set the standard for the qualities that we look for in our nurses today: compassion, leadership, critical thinking, and stewardship. Being a transport nurse is not exactly the same as being a bed side nurse. You play many different roles, as the team is comprised of a nurse, RT and a paramedic. You have to be able to assess and relay the information to the accepting physicians without hesitation. Melissa is an excellent teacher and often provides her expertise to the referring staff to help with the care they provide prior to our arrival …

Melissa leaves a lasting impression on her patients. She becomes that beacon of hope for those she cares for; it could be the gentle voice or the assuring touch and the ever-present smile. She has consistently received cards and emails from the families that she has cared for over the past 30 years; she just connects with people …

Melissa is such a compassionate caregiver; she has an amazing affinity to calm those around her. She cares for the entire team, the referring staff as well as her patients. She treats every child as if they were her very own; it is her calling to provide the best care.

Bernadette Kelly, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Nurse Manager

Recently the CICU cared for a patient (baby) whose mother never left the bedside. The patient was constantly fussy and crying secondary to his diagnosis. This family had been on the unit for a few weeks and was noted to have no additional family support and difficulty communicating with staff as English was their second spoken language.

(Kelly) was a resource nurse that day and did not have a patient assignment. She noticed the mom looked exhausted and took this as a time to discuss self-care. It was around 4 p.m. when she asked the mother if she had eaten. She said, “No, I can’t leave because he will cry if I put him down.”

(Kelly) knew due to his defect he could not cry for long periods without having status changes. This nominee volunteered to take the baby and he immediately went to sleep with her rocking him. Once his mother noticed her compassion toward her ill infant she left to go eat. When she came back, (Kelly) encouraged her to lie down and that she would still be available to hold him. Caregiver fatigue is often seen in parents that care for ill children. (Kelly) provided education to a mother with minimal family support about the importance of her eating and resting while her son was in the ICU. This young mother was so grateful for the time this nominee spent holding her baby so she could take care of herself. (Kelly’s) compassion for pediatric cardiac patients has been at the forefront of her career and secondary to her skill set, compassion and empathy, she was the PICU Employee of the Year in 2012.

Elizabeth Leeper, Perioperative Services Nurse Manager

(Leeper) is a compassionate caregiver to patients, families and staff. This nurse follows our philosophy of being a patient advocate and promoting a culture of serving others with respect for individuality and diversity. I have seen her make allowances for special needs patients collaborating with anesthesia and nurses.

For example, we have older autistic children that have extreme separation anxiety making it difficult for a nurse to push them back on a hospital bed to surgery. This nurse will step up and make special provisions for a parent to go back to the OR with the patient until they are asleep. This consideration promotes the organizations promise of a save environment for our patients and families. This candidate is very caring to staff in times of family emergencies, personal problems and need for time away from work.

Her kindness and concern for her staff make you feel you are a family member of hers. I have seen her cry and comfort her colleagues during times of lost loved ones, sick or injured children or spouse or simply having a bad day. I was stuck in Houston when my loved one was having surgery and we had to stay longer due to complications. Not only did she empathize and console me but helped me cover my shifts so I could stay and look after my loved one and not worry about my job.

Teresa Clark, Chief Nursing Officer

This nurse has been a role model for those around her for three decades. At our institution alone, she has practiced and offered sound leadership for over 25 years. She has both an advanced certification and a master’s degree. From my own conversations with this nurse, I know that she has always felt called to our profession … this calling is not something you can teach ...

While this candidate has a long history in nursing and one that illustrates her wonderful work, this past year’s contributions are remarkable. She was promoted to CNO following the retirement of a long tenured CNO. She demonstrated her strength as she held together a large nursing staff – encouraging teamwork, professionalism and collaboration during this change in leadership. She led efforts to finalize and implement a new professional development program, restructured our nursing org chart and updated our nursing practice model and nursing strategic plan. She has accomplished all of this while enrolled in her DNP program and battling metastatic breast cancer.

Still, I think her most significant contribution is her caring … which is really the defining characteristic of our profession. She cares about the children in our community, the staff she leads, the organization she works for and the profession she was called to serve.

This Great 100 nominee displays such dedication to our profession of healing hands and caring hearts that inspires me even today.

This video about the #WorldsToughestJob went viral last week.  If you haven't watched it yet, please do, it is worth your time.

In thinking about this video, I thought of #AnotherToughJob that I thought I would write a job description for:

• Able to deal with people when they are at the end of their stress level, operating on very little sleep and have been waiting to see you or talk with you for hours.
• Able to deal with a boss who has a strong personality and convince them to complete tasks (i.e. filling out forms) when they would rather be doing something else (i.e. playing golf).
• Able to let said boss take all the credit when something goes right but force you to be the bad guy day after day.
• Able to deal with very messy situations - no exemption from poop, pee or puke exposure.
• Able to skip lunch or go without a potty break for hours should "special circumstances" arise (like most days).
• Able to deal with very sad situations and be a person of support even when you feel very sad yourself.

It's not all bad though...

Perks include:

• Dealing with the coolest people in the world-our patients and their parents.
• Watching a child grow to be a young adult (and eventually a parent themselves).
• Watching children who are sick return to health.
• Working with other great people who love children as much as you do.

So, say a special "Thank You" to all of our amazing nurses at Cook Children's.  

From our primary care offices to inpatient to specialty to home health, we have some of the best nurses in the country!

Leave comments for your favorite nurses and we'll pass the message along!

“Luke” Ronny Lucas lost his job in March of 2002, after dodging two prior rounds of layoffs. He’d been a lead systems engineer working on software to land planes at DFW International. After 9-11, the money for his department was re-appropriated to the Transportation Security Administration. Lucas was left without a job and with little desire to remain in that uncertain career field.

Now what?

“My wife was in nursing school and I had always wanted to do something medical so after looking for an IT job for 8 months I decided to become a nurse,” Lucas said. “I worked in many roles on my way to becoming a nurse from respiratory supply technician to unit secretary, to student nurse and eventually nurse.”

Lucas, who is now a nurse manager for cardiothoracic surgery and the Cath lab at Cook Children’s, graduated from Weatherford College with an associate degree in Nursing in 2005. He was one of three who made it. Two others in his class didn’t stay with it. This is their loss, according to Lucas.

“It’s a very rewarding profession that has more opportunities available than any other profession I know of,” Lucas said. “You can be an ED nurse, ICU nurse, case manager, educator and the list goes on. You have so many opportunities as a nurse that you should never get bored.”

But with all of those options, even in this day and age, male nurses still get teased sometimes.

“One night at a party, an individual didn’t realize how many male nurses were at my house and made a comment about me being a male nurse and wearing a skirt,” Lucas said. “After the reaction from about 10 other male nurses and all of the females, he quickly became silent.”

Darrell Daniel, a nurse manager in Vascular Access, was the only male in his graduating class in 2003. He was a high school teacher prior to going into nursing and was helping with special needs children at camp each year.

He’s taken his teaching skills into nursing.

“I get to help kids through the most overlooked and painful part of being in the hospital, IVs,” Daniel said.

Daniel tells younger nurses going into the profession to be prepared to be treated differently by some; including people thinking that males can’t be as caring or nurturing as their female counterparts. At least in his case, he said that’s definitely not the case.

Jason Brooks may be the youngest nurse in this article, but in his graduating class of 2008, he still only had two other men with him. Brooks is a registered nurse in 5 Main at Cook Children’s, which is a general medical floor.

Brooks has a long history of nurses in his family, including a brother, aunt and cousin. He first got into nursing to become a doctor like one of his brothers. Today, he has aspirations to someday become an orthodontist.

But for now, he’s happy as a nurse. Even though, he sometimes gets mistaken for a doctor.

“It happens all the time,” Brooks says while laughing. “People will be on the phone and say, ‘I have to go, the doctor just walked in the room.’”

Brooks said he gets treated as an equal by his female counterparts, except when he’s needed to help lift a heavier patient or occasionally if there’s a cultural aspect to a family’s care.

“Some male patients are more comfortable to be examined by another male and some cultures would rather have someone of the same sex,” Brooks said. “We care for all types of people. But we always want kids to be happy and have fun. The great thing about my job is that it’s always different. I may see a patient 1 foot long or 6 feet long. The adult population isn’t as diverse. I really enjoy the diversity of Cook Children’s.”

Ken Longbrake, a nurse manager for the Emergency Department, has gotten some good natured ribbing through the years about his profession. He laughs that off, as well as the frequent confusion of what happens when he visits a patient’s room.

“People think you are a physician,” Longbrake said. “When a man in scrubs enters with a stethoscope, they assume you’re a doctor.”

After serving in the Army, Longbrake went to college looking for a career with stability where he had the opportunity to help others. He found it in nursing. As a manager today, he has found that he not only helps the patients, but “I get to care for the caregiver and ensure their needs are met so they can focus on the patients.”

Longbrake calls the staff at Cook Children’s his family. He said it all fits into what he looks at as his calling.

“At some point, we are all in a position where we need assistance from someone,” he said. “Nursing provides me the opportunity to help others during one of the most difficult and scary times in their lives. It’s a special profession. The opportunities in nursing are endless. You can work in a multitude of areas and the profession is not only secure, but rewarding.”