Schneider Children’s Hospital of North Shore LIJ Health Systems CF Nurses

Title:

CF Nurses “embrace patients and family? and form a “partnership?

Jerry Cahill interviews CF nurses, Lynn Bonitz and Susan Galvin, from Schneider Children’s Hospital of North Shore LIJ Health Systems in New Hyde Park, New York. Lynn and Susan have over 22 years of experience in nursing (12 in the world of cystic fibrosis) and maintain a “positive attitude?.

• Lynn and Susan are part of a phenomenal “TEAM? at the large CF Center at Schneider Children’s of North Shore LIJ Health Systems that has over 200 pediatric patients and over 80 adult CF patients.
• A typical day in the life of a CF nurse: “we spend ½ of the day seeing patients in clinic followed by team meetings, phone triage, insurance issues, clinical studies, and involvement in emergency cases? states Lynn and Susan.
• “What I like most about the job is working with the patients and their families? states Lynn
• “The patients are always positive and very resilient? states Susan.
• Challenges with infants: “the educational process for the family it is a long-term process? states Lynn
• Challenges with adolescents: “having patients take control of their care and NOT abandoning care? states Susan.
• Challenges with adults: “ Learning to maintain a balance in life?
• Advice: Lynn and Susan both recommend that patients should have a case manager at their insurance company. “Case managers can make things go very smoothly?
• Goal: “We strive to give the best care and help our patients in every way we can and not treat them like medical records?