Professional Nursing Practice

Here, nursing is different. The evidence is written in our patients' smiles, engraved on our hospital recognitions and displayed by the industry-changing service our team provides. Our nurses make a difference every day – whether they're improving patient care at one of our hospital locations or supporting children throughout our community.

Transformational leadership

At Children's Colorado, our mission, vision, values and strategic plan are aligned to prioritize patient care and a healthy work environment. Nurses have access to the resources they need to deliver the best care to our patients and families. Our nursing leaders support teams through mentoring and succession planning.

Structural empowerment for nurses

Our nursing team members are encouraged to participate in shared governance and interprofessional decision-making groups to establish standards of practice that ensure that the highest, safest level of care is delivered to patients. We support continuous professional development and offer transition to practice programs.

Our Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive

Our nursing team is led by Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive Patricia (Pat) Givens. Pat has served in executive leadership positions since 2002 and in a variety of nursing leadership, academic, educational and direct care roles over the past 30 years. Her experience and practice settings have included children's hospitals, adult healthcare systems and academic medical centers across the U.S. and Canada.

Exemplary nursing professional practice

Our nurses are grounded in a culture of safety and evidence-based care through quality monitoring. At Children's Colorado, nurses and interprofessional teams partner with patients and families to ensure care coordination resulting in an improved quality of life.

Our Professional Practice Model depicts how nurses practice as professionals at Children’s Colorado. This model represents our:

1. Values and standards of behavior
2. Professional collaborative relationships
3. Family-centered care delivery system
4. Reward and compensation system
5. Shared governance structure
6. Team member contributions

Nationally recognized care

We strive for excellence in everything we do, which is why we're proud of the recognition our nursing team has received from local and national nursing organizations. Every member of our team contributes to this reputation for excellence – and we go out of our way to recognize our team members who exude this commitment.

Magnet recognition

The Magnet Recognition Program® was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize healthcare organizations that demonstrate nursing excellence and disseminate successful nursing practices and strategies. It is a roadmap for nursing excellence based on evidence and research.  

In 2020, Children's Colorado received Magnet recognition for the fourth time. This recognition applied to all our Denver Metro locations and the Briargate Outpatient Care Facility in Colorado Springs. At the time of this award, we were one of only 13 Magnet-designated hospitals in the state and one of 543 in the world. 

Learn more about our Magnet designation. 

The ENA Lantern Award

The Emergency Nursing Association (ENA) gives their Lantern Award to emergency departments that demonstrate "exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research."

The Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Emergency Department received the 2019 ENA Lantern Award for the many improvements they’ve made in the past year, including the development of an evidence-based suicide screening process for their patients.

Daisy Awards

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is given to recognize outstanding nurses at Children's Colorado. It was established by the DAISY Foundation, a foundation for the elimination of diseases attacking the immune system.

Nightingale Luminary Awards

The Colorado Nurse Foundation's Nightingale Luminary Awards recognize nurses who exemplify the philosophy and practice of Florence Nightingale, a 19th century nursing pioneer who epitomized the art of helping people. Our nurses are regularly honored by the Nightingale Awards each year.

Nursing Excellence Awards

The Nursing Excellence Awards are annual recognitions highlighting nursing achievements from the Division of Patient Care Services. The awards align with our Reimagine 2020 Strategic Plan and Magnet standards.

Service within and beyond our hospital walls

Our nursing team provides services at ten of our Children's Colorado locations. We also have neonatal nurse practitioners, school nurses and nurses in the community who serve patients at other sites.

Populations served

At Children's Colorado, we serve pediatric populations ages 0 to 21 and adult patients with pediatric conditions. Through collaboration with University of Colorado Hospital and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, we also serve the maternal and fetal population. 

Community initiatives

Our teams provide high-quality care to the community through effective structures and partnerships. Community initiatives that our nursing team supports include:

• School Health Program: Our school health nurses reach more than 75,000 Colorado students. We provide direct and consultative care to:
  • Seven metro-area school districts
  • Forty-seven private and charter schools
  • Seventy child care centers/preschools, head start programs and camps
• KidStreet: KidStreet is a specialized day treatment designed to provide daily rehabilitation services for infants and children with complex medical needs. Children receive skilled nursing and rehabilitative therapy care that their medical conditions require, while allowing them the opportunity to interact with other children.
• Roundup River Ranch: Several of our nurses volunteer with Roundup River Ranch, a year-round ranch located in Gypsum, Colorado that enriches the lives of children with serious illnesses and their families. The camp offers free, medically supported activities and programs that provide unforgettable opportunities to discover joy, develop friendships and build confidence. Children's Colorado has been involved with Roundup River Ranch since we became a Founding Hospital Partner in 2006. We provide donations of service, medications, medical supplies and referral of campers.

Advanced practice nurses

Our nurse practitioners are an important part of our provider team. The Children's Colorado Neonatal Program is currently a team of more than 100 Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NNPs) and growing. Our NNP program has a strong partnership with Regis University as our regional partner for NNP education. The Children's Colorado NNP Program provides a competitive clinical rotation practice site and provides employment opportunities for these graduates.