New Heights: Cheryl Petersen, CNO & SVP for Nursing and Patient Services
“I strive to be a voice for the nurses and advocate for them. It’s a lifelong journey as each team has different priorities and needs. It’s quite an undertaking and honor to be the voice for so many and to do my best for the team who put their trust in me.”
In celebration of Women’s Month, we are proud to highlight Cheryl Petersen, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President for Nursing and Patient Services at Cook Children’s. She has served in this role since 2015 and prior to this role was Assistant Vice President of Nursing and Nursing Director for 21 years. Cheryl is the President-Elect of Texas Organization of Nursing Leadership.
By Heather Duge
When did you realize you wanted to pursue nursing?
I remember my grandmother saying I would be a nurse, and I followed her lead. I like helping people and quickly found my true calling in pediatrics after my first opportunity in nursing school to rotate through that unit.
Tell me about your journey to become a nurse.
I earned my bachelor's and nursing degrees at the University of Iowa and worked there in the pediatric unit. I moved to Chicago and worked in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Loyola University Medical Center while studying for my MBA at Benedictine University in Illinois. In 1994, I was recruited for director of PICU and Dialysis and Transplant Programs at Cook Children’s, and I served in that role for over 20 years. Starting in 2014, I transitioned to AVP of Nursing and in 2015 was promoted to VP of Nursing. In November, I celebrated my eight-year anniversary in this role.
What are some of your proudest moments at Cook Children’s?
Our third and fourth Magnet designations were special for different reasons. For the third designation, I was an AVP and supporting Teresa (Clark), our CNO who was undergoing medical treatments. When she passed away, we were in the process of submitting the Magnet documents. Orlando Chapa (VP, Nursing and Patient Care Services) and I dug in and brought the documents up to the level for redesignation. Teresa would have been so proud to see it through. This accomplishment added another level of pride for all Cook Children’s Nursing.
For the fourth designation, we were in the midst of the pandemic, and I saw all of the work firsthand as Chief Nursing Officer. It gave me a new appreciation for the effort and excellence to achieve designation. It was a true pleasure to work with the Magnet program director. We could not have done it without all our amazing team members.
What were some of the most challenging times you’ve been through at Cook Children’s?
The care we deliver doesn’t end when we walk out the doors. Our nurses have full lives, and my goal is to take care of them end to end and support them through the tough times. COVID was one of the most difficult periods anyone could have endured physically, mentally and emotionally. I remember at the beginning when there was a fear about going to the unit caring for COVID patients, and so the nurses felt like they were on an island. I saw them collaborate on how to care for these patients in the safest way. Their spirits were so strong, and they paved the path of how to do this at Cook Children’s.
We are still recovering, and all people are triggered differently. The path to recovery is going to take time as we fully understand the impact. Our staff are doing amazingly well as some still carry the burden. Finding ways to support them is very important. We have brought all the concerns about burnout and overexertion to the forefront.
When hiring new nurses, what do you focus on?
I want us to focus on how special Cook Children’s is, the culture of care and the importance of looking at everything through a child’s eyes. Not everyone can fill the shoes of a Cook Children’s nurse. We look for experienced nurses with talents they can bring and those who fit into our culture.
Tell me about the nursing team at Cook Children’s.
We have a truly remarkable nursing team. They bring energy, enthusiasm, excitement and a willingness to undergo training to try new specialties. They adapt to changing environments and learn the latest about technology to make it easier for patients and families to use and understand. Collaboration is so important to nursing – it’s all about how we help align other team members to provide their services. I see them collaborate in an organized manner, communicate effectively and embrace togetherness.
Tell me more about nurses collaborating with other staff in the hospital.
I love the opportunity to identify best solutions and one example of that is safety rounds in the PICU. Every Tuesday morning and night, physicians, quality nurses, quality team and nursing leadership collaborate at the bedside. It’s a wonderful time to see through others’ eyes the work they do and discover how to overcome hurdles that pop up. It’s amazing to see the nurses’ truly remarkable ingenuity as we find new ways to reimagine care.
What are some of your goals for the nursing team?
My goals are to enhance employee and patient engagement. Nurses look at us as a family and we need to have a joyful environment. I desire for the nurses to practice at the top of their nurse license and be the best they can be. Nursing wellness is also very important to me. Life isn’t always easy, and I want to support my nurses through the hard times. I want to learn more about what causes burnout and imbalance and improve on those things. We have a lot of work ahead of us as we continue developments on all fronts – new programs, safer work environments and innovation.
What have you learned from being a nurse?
It is very rewarding for us to have the opportunity to take care of patients and families and to be allowed into their lives if even for a moment to make a difference. Nursing has taught me so much about myself, others and what we can endure. I have seen a lot of traumas through the years and I’ve seen firsthand how prevention saves lives – buckling kids in car seats, watching the water to prevent drowning, and taking measures to prevent child abuse.
How does the hospital’s culture platform fit into nursing?
Embracing our culture platform is so important. With pediatric nursing, it’s a package deal. You really must love families, not just children. When we open doors to the family, they help us plan their child’s care and interpret what their child needs. Who knows a child better than their family? They know their favorite color and the way they like to eat food. We can brighten a patients’ day by knowing them better and it adds a small sparkle to their experience. Bringing smiles to the kids’ faces is truly the reason to hope and look forward to the next thing.