Excellence in Nursing Awards 2021
After the last year and a half, these dedicated caretakers earn their place in the spotlight.
Licensed Practical Nurse of the Year
Tiesha Sebastian, LPN. Photography by Alex Gagne.
Tiesha Sebastian, LPN
Health and Nutrition Manager (Early Head Start); Child Care Health Consultant Nurse Supervisor at the Meeting Street Center
How did you get into nursing?
After becoming a teenage parent, my childhood dream of becoming a doctor shifted to being a great mother to my children. I worked as a CNA for some years and was disappointed in what the delivery in care looked like, particularly within the long-term care setting and the care delivered to those with disabilities. I knew that as a nurse who specifically worked with the elderly and disabled population, I could make a difference and be a part of the change that I wanted to see.
What’s your favorite part of your role?
My favorite part of being a licensed practical nurse is providing hope, love, compassion and care to those who need it at the most vulnerable times in their lives.
Tell us about your role in the Early Head Start Program.
The Early Head Start program is a federally funded program that provides family-centered services to low-income families (pregnant women and children up to age three). The program is education-based and designed to promote the healthy development of children, support parents as their children’s first teachers and empower parents to move towards self-sufficiency. We complete a series of screenings to identify specific needs that each family may have, then support those families in meeting those needs to overcome any barriers that were identified. Families that live in poverty have a complexity of needs that go beyond just physical health. My role is to not only teach families about healthy practices, but also to empower them with the tools necessary to overcome the barriers associated with their socioeconomic factors. I also provide the knowledge and skills necessary to foster the confidence needed to advocate for themselves and their families within the health care settings. As a teenage parent living in poverty, I was enrolled in an Early Head Start program. The tools it provided empowered me to become a better parent. It also helped lay the foundation of my success today. This is the way I’m giving back to the world and making it better than how I found it.
What impact has COVID-19 had on you as a nurse?
I wish more people knew that this pandemic not only affected people physically, but also brought health disparities to the forefront. Many underserved communities suffered tremendously because they did not qualify for stimulus payments, additional unemployment benefits or government benefits. These blended, undocumented and working poor families didn’t have the option to work remotely. For many of them, it was either be present or receive no wages. I worked diligently within my capacity during the pandemic to reach these families and connect them with agencies that provided basic needs to aid in their struggle, give them hope and let them know that they are important and that their well-being matters.
Nurse Practitioner of the Year
Tara Brown, DNP, CPNP-AC/PC, ACHPN, CCRN. Photography by Alex Gagne.
Tara Brown, DNP, CPNP-AC/PC, ACHPN, CCRN
Nurse Practitioner for the Children’s Integrative Therapies, Pain Management, and Supportive Care Unit at Hasbro Children’s Hospital
How did you get into nursing?
I always appreciated the combination of science and humanity. While working as a bedside nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, I was introduced to palliative care and the specialty really spoke to me. We can’t always change the outcomes of situations, but we can always try to improve quality of life and ease the suffering of patients and their families.
What’s the most rewarding part of your role?
A couple medical residents we once trained gave us a picture that read, “Love first — everything else later.” They said it was the most important lesson they learned and I love practicing medicine in this way. Some days, my role includes dressing up as an animal and having a water balloon fight — anything to crack a smile on a child’s face. Another day it may be to ease the pain of a dying child or to hold a crying parent’s hand while they lie with their child. We are present during some of life’s most vulnerable moments and it’s in those moments you see how powerful and beautiful love is. The job gives so much more to my heart than it takes.
Tell us about the Canine Comfort Program.
One of our long-term teenage patients once said, “You should have a dog on your team because I love when they visit [with the hospital’s volunteer pet therapy program], but they have to leave when we do hard stuff.”
With that, I partnered with Dr. Barron, the Aubin Center’s director, who was also interested in a resident dog for her own program and we went on to develop the Canine Comfort Program in 2019. It includes two resident dogs, Cali and Nemo, and their employee handlers, and it allows the dogs to stay in patient rooms during procedures and difficult conversations. Dogs provide a comforting presence to reduce anxiety, increase communication and improve care for pediatric patients and their families especially during times of emotional vulnerability.
Has a patient ever changed your outlook on Nursing?
A few have changed not only the way I think about nursing, but the way I think about life. They have helped me grow in ways I would have never imagined were possible. Throughout my career, I have met children wise beyond their years. They are more worried about their parents than they are about themselves. They possess a strength that can’t be put into words. If more people walked through the world the way they do — with unconditional love, forgiveness and gratitude — the world would be a better place. They have left handprints on my heart. I try to follow in their big footsteps whenever I can.
