PICU RN Aimee Wooldridge Publishes Paper in Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Aimee Wooldridge RN IV with the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Carilion Children's led an initiative to augment education for caregivers of medically complex infants and children with new tracheostomies and studied the outcomes of this work. The Family Tracheostomy Program complements traditional bedside training with a phased process of simulation, resulting in significant improvements in caregiver skills and scenario performance, reduced anxiety, and fewer tracheostomy changes for the patient due to caregivers' competence after learning in a simulated environment. The phased implementation component of this work is unique and highlights an important advancement in neonatal and pediatric caregiver education.

This is Aimee's first professional publication and reflects her commitment to share her work and knowledge with colleagues beyond Carilion. The citation for Aimee's paper is:

Wooldridge, A., & Carter, K. (2021, July). Pediatric and neonatal tracheostomy caregiver education with phased simulation to increase competency and enhance coping. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 60, 247-251.