Practicing Inclusion
“My favorite thing about culture at [Children’s Hospital Los Angeles] is that the patient always is the top priority. Everybody here strives to make the experience for our patients the best it can possibly be. Most of the time we’re doing that under the absolute worst circumstances, which makes it even more important. I love the research that’s being done here, and the opportunities to participate in those projects. I also appreciate CHLA’s team approach. I work with four other nurse practitioners, and we support interventional radiologists who are performing minimally invasive procedures on patients that help those patients have shorter recuperation times. The way my team works is that we all cover for each other. If one person is working on a project, others pick up a little more work. We embrace flexible schedules, and that’s strongly supported by leadership. That means there’s an emphasis on balance. This provides us the opportunities to not only be successful at work but also with our families. I have a 9- and 11-year-old at home, so you can imagine how important that is for me.”
“Another thing I love about CHLA is the way everybody can get involved. For a few years now I’ve been a member of the Advanced Practice Providers Committee. When I arrived here, it was nurse practitioners only. About a year ago we worked with leadership to change our bylaws to make the group inclusive of physician assistants and all other advance-practice nurses. That was important to my colleagues, especially the PAs, because they didn’t have a voice before in the same way. Collaboratively we believe we can achieve more to grow all our groups. The main meeting is quarterly. Then we also have subcommittees, many of which meet monthly. One of the subcommittees tackles research, and we have funds available for travel to conferences and grants for people who are looking to do longer-term studies. We also support the Nurse Practitioner Week in November and PA Week in September.”
“CHLA also has been very supportive of my work-related efforts outside the hospital. I’m a part-time lecturer in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of California Los Angeles School of Nursing. I’m also involved with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, in the Los Angeles chapter. This past year the latter organization—we call it NAPNAP—gave me its ‘Outstanding Nurse Practitioner of the Year’ award. I was nominated by peers for that, past recipients are mentors of mine, and it is a tremendous honor. It means a lot to be recognized as someone who helps advance our profession.”
– Amy Lohmann, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner 3, Interventional Radiology
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