First a Patient, Now a Nurse

It’s not uncommon for former Texas Children’s Hospital patients to return to the hospital to visit the doctors and nurses who cared for them. When Jaimee Kheir-Westfall returned to Texas Children’s, she did so not as a visitor or patient, but as a nurse.

A Texas Children’s employee since 1999, Kheir-Westfall recently discovered she works in the same unit as one of her former nurses, Barbara Montagnino. Montagnino is a clinical nurse specialist who previously worked in Texas Children’s pediatric urology service for 18 years.

Kheir-Westfall was a frequent patient at Texas Children’s from 1980 to 1993. First treated in the urology clinic when she was 16 months old, Kheir-Westfall had multiple surgeries, office visits and hospitalizations throughout her childhood to treat a urologic birth defect.

"I remember the nurses who were nice to me and took really good care of me," Kheir-Westfall said. "I had great experiences and wanted to give back what my nurses gave me."

Because she works the night shift and Montagnino generally works days, the two nurses didn’t run into one another until last summer on a day Montagnino was working late. It was their first meeting in a decade.

Since learning her former patient worked in her unit, Montagnino has watched Kheir-Westfall with pride.

"In the Progressive Care Unit, we have many patients with chronic problems who are in and out of the hospital many times and are away from their families often," Montagnino said. "It takes a special kind of nurse to interact with these children and keep them on track with normal tasks. Jaimee draws upon her own experiences as a patient to provide these children with effective and compassionate care."

Kheir-Westfall takes her role as a patient advocate seriously.

"I am very attentive to pain and empathize with patients who get bored and lonely," she said. "I can relate to what the patients are going through and can deal well with the parents, too."

Montagnino said Kheir-Westfall also serves as a good example to chronically ill children, giving them hope that they will grow up to live normal lives and achieve their dreams. She predicts Kheir-Westfall will inspire a few Texas Children’s patients to go into the health care field.

Kheir-Westfall is simply following Montagnino’s lead.

"I looked up to Barbara then, and I look up to her now on a personal and professional level," she said.

The feelings are mutual for Montagnino.

"One of the best parts of nursing is mentoring. It is so rewarding to know I had a part in restoring Jaimee to good health and also had an impact on her career choice," Montagnino said. "I was excited to learn she had not only chosen nursing, but chose to work in the Progressive Care Unit. This unit offers a variety of clinical experiences for pediatric nurses."

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/05_01_02/page_08.html