GUEST COLUMNIST FROM BLUEBIRD VOLUNTEER TO CLINICAL LEADER: A NURSE’S JOURNEY OF CHASING HIS DREAMS

My name is Andrew Delgado, a registered nurse on the 5 North Surgical Progressive Unit at Methodist Hospital. My healthcare journey began as a high school volunteer with the Blue Birds, also working at Methodist Hospital. I enjoyed interacting with patients and their families as I transported them through the hospital on their way home. Those interactions and being able to connect with another person are what attracted me to nursing. I also found the inner workings and complexity of the hospital fascinating.

Nicu Nurses Create A Program

Implemented Throughout Methodist Healthcare To Help Decrease Diaper Rashes In Premature Babies

Shortly after, I attended the UT Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA) School of Nursing, was accepted into the internship program, and began working as a student on 5 North. The internship allowed me to build my skills as a student and better prepared me for launching as a novice nurse. I have been a nurse for four years now, working my way up to be a relief charge nurse, preceptor, and mentor, and I will graduate with my master’s degree in Nurse Education by the end of this summer. As I help develop and mentor students going through the UTHSCSA program, I encourage them to apply for the internship because of the benefits it served in helping me grow my career. I also highly encourage fellow students to apply for the HCA Direct Bill, a program and resource for employees to help offset tuition costs. The program has been a tremendous help in paying for my courses.

The preceptor and mentor experience I’ve received in my leadership role with Methodist Hospital has sparked an interest in me to pursue teaching. Currently, I am an adjunct faculty member at the UTHSCSA School of Nursing, where I have spent the last three semesters as a teacher’s assistant for the Adult I Clinical Rotation Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) program. Being able to directly impact the next generation of nurses by guiding and preparing them is what brings me joy. I plan to join the Methodist Nurse Educator Team and continue as an adjunct clinical instructor with UTHSCSA to continue shaping the future of nursing.

I look back at my beginnings and am so proud of how far I’ve come. Methodist Healthcare’s mission statement, “Serving humanity to honor God,” and the I-CARE values attracted me to Methodist Hospital, and it’s been such a privilege growing professionally in an organization that wants to see you develop and succeed. As a nurse, I believe caring for others is the greatest act of service, and as a teacher and mentor, being able to pass down knowledge, being available, and remembering everyone started as a novice are the best ways to empower, support, and build confidence in our learners. Sharing that gift will impact not only my future students but also the patients that they will care for.

A new evidence-based project called “Butter the Buns” is being implemented at the Methodist Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to help decrease diaper rashes in premature babies.

The project, created by three experienced NICU nurses, is an educational resource that teaches techniques and the use of appropriate products to protect the delicate skin of premature infants.

“Infants that are pre-term cannot be touched often. Touching them alters their vitals and their skin is very fragile, so we try not to touch them unless needed. Unfortunately, that does mean that sometimes infants are sitting in a dirty diaper for an hour or two, and we don’t like that, but changing their diaper often and rubbing their skin could actually make it worse” says Holland Bernal one of the project’s creators.

“Their [babies] layers of skin are not developed like an adult skin, so they don’t have that extra protection. We want our babies to sleep and rest, so we can’t touch them as often,” says Patricia Maese one of the three nurses who co-created the program.

Maese says the premature babies continue to develop as they sleep and rest. She says the idea came to her after she attended a wound care master class. She compared wounded skin to be as delicate as premature baby skin.

Both nurses say understanding the products has also made a difference in care. They hope this project helps equip nurses with the knowledge and tools they need to keep pre-mature babies under their case comfortable and healthy.

The “Butter the Buns” project is being implemented throughout NICU units in the Methodist Healthcare system.