Pediatric and School Nurse Professional Development

This pediatric-focused professional development series equips nurses with essential knowledge and skills to address critical issues affecting children and adolescents. Topics include sickle cell disease, with a focus on clinical progression, pain management challenges, and culturally responsive strategies to improve quality of life. Nurses will also build confidence in pediatric seizure management, including seizure identification, emergency interventions, and caregiver education. The session on vaping and youth health highlights how to recognize signs of vaping-related illness and provides tools for prevention and family-centered education. Finally, the series covers identifying and reporting pediatric abuse, helping nurses recognize signs of neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse while applying trauma-informed, legally sound documentation and reporting practices.

Speakers:

Christen McDaniel, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician at Thibodaux Regional Health System, specializing in comprehensive care for children and adolescents. She earned her undergraduate degree from Florida State University, medical degree from Ross University, and completed her pediatric residency at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital.

Ugo Ezema, M.D., is a Critical Care Pulmonologist at Terrebonne General Health System in Houma, Louisiana. Dr. Ugo Ezema earned his medical degree from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center and fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Tulane University. Board-certified in both pulmonary disease and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Ezema is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society.

Dianne "Deedy" Richoux MSN, RN, CPN, is a pediatric nurse and educator with over 30 years of experience in pediatric hematology and oncology. She has served at MD Anderson, St. Jude, and Manning Family Children’s Hospital, providing care for children with complex conditions. A trainer for the Oncology Nursing Society and member of the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses, she now teaches at Nicholls State University, integrating her clinical expertise into nursing education and professional development.

Anne Troy, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, Dr. Troy is an Associate Professor of Nursing and teaches forensics and mental health to nursing students at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans. As a forensic pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans for the past 13 years, Troy assesses, treats, and testifies for pediatric survivors of child sexual abuse, seeing more than five hundred children a year. Her research interests include evaluating the vicarious trauma of jurors as a result of serving at criminal trials, evaluating and remediating ACEs in nurses, and primary prevention of abuse.

Activity Learning Outcomes:

● Identify the clinical features and pain management challenges associated with pediatric sickle cell disease.

● Recognize seizure types in pediatric patients and apply appropriate emergency response and caregiver education.

● Identify signs and symptoms of vaping-related illness in youth and implement prevention-focused interventions.

● Detect indicators of pediatric abuse and neglect and demonstrate appropriate trauma-informed reporting practices.

The target audience is registered nurses.

Location: Nicholls State University, Betsy C. Ayo Hall - Nirmala Yalamanchili Donepudi Auditorium

Networking ………………………………………………………………….8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Presentation time…………………………………………………………….8:45 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Host or Publisher Nicholls State University-NCPDP