From a young age, Roxanne Glasgow-Pope knew she wanted to be a nurse. Growing up in New York City, she often accompanied her mother on her nursing rotations to care for patients in their homes. Later, she volunteered at a local hospital, where she would eventually start her nursing career in the Intensive Care Unit and move on to various positions, including working in the pediatric emergency department.

Roxanne’s career with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta began in 2006, when she came to Atlanta on a travel nurse assignment at Children's Hughes Spalding Hospital*, which had recently become part of Children’s. Although she had worked in pediatrics prior to arriving, Children's hands-on training allowed her to refine her skills and feel more comfortable making the transition from adult care. She loved working with kids and teens at Children’s so much, she decided to stay. Roxanne has been with Children’s ever since—working nearly 16 years as a Clinical Nurse in the Hughes Spalding Emergency Department (ED).

“The housing in Atlanta attracted our family here, but the people made us stay,” Roxanne says. “I love the people I work with. Once you find a team you’re comfortable with, you never want to go anywhere else.”

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Hughes Spalding serves patients 0-21 years old, and is one of Children’s three hospitals. Hughes Spalding is one of the smallest freestanding children’s hospitals in the country. Yet, it is a high-volume center, with approximately 88,000 patient visits and more than 55,000 Emergency Department visits per year.

Roxanne works mid shift—3 p.m. to 3 a.m.—which is often the busiest time in the ED. “It is a fast-paced environment,” she says. “We get a lot of patients with asthma, sickle cell and behavioral conditions, and we get our share of walk-in trauma patients as well. As a nurse, being able to function independently and think outside of the box helps in this kind of setting.”

A Typical Day: Clinical Nurse, Hughes Spalding ED

1 p.m. When her alarm goes off, Roxanne hops in the shower to get ready for her day. An hour later, she’s in her car, on her way to Hughes Spalding. To prepare herself for the day ahead, she listens to her top playlists during the drive in.

3 p.m. Roxanne clocks in and reports to the charge nurse for her daily assignment. To maximize efficiency, the ED is organized in several pods, or groups of patient rooms, usually with four patients each. At the beginning of each shift, Roxanne meets with the nurse who previously covered her assigned area to get a report on her patients. Then, she takes a few minutes to introduce herself and check in on any immediate needs. “Coming in on third shift is often a hectic time, especially during this high-volume season,” Roxanne says. “I have to jump into whatever situation is going on—wherever my help is needed most.”

4 p.m. Roxanne learns one of her patients will be transferred to Children’s Scottish Rite Hospital for further care, so she gets a head start on filling out the required forms. Then, she meets with her trainee, a new nurse she is helping orient. “We’re a small campus, so it’s easy to get to know our staff,” she says. “I work with a multidisciplinary team of nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, interns and fellows.”

8 p.m. In addition to caring for the kids in her pod, Roxanne helps triage incoming patients and take vitals while they’re waiting to see a provider. She also checks in on families who are waiting, updating them on wait times and offering them water, crackers or a blanket to make them more comfortable. She aims to keep everyone informed and, most importantly, calm. “Waiting in the ED can be stressful for kids and caregivers,” Roxanne explains. “I do my best to ease their concerns and improve their experience any way I can.”

“I do my best to ease their concerns
and improve their experience any way I can.”

10 p.m. Almost halfway through her shift, Roxanne takes a few minutes to have a snack and clear her head. It’s a busy night in the ED, and she knows she needs to fuel up to ensure she’s in top shape for her patients. “When I’m on duty, I’m always on the move,” Roxanne says. “It’s important to take a minute to breathe and reset so I stay focused on what matters most: our patients.”

12:30 a.m. As the night goes on, patient volumes in the ED continue to increase. Roxanne and her trainee alternate between triaging waiting patients and checking on the patients in their pod. With respiratory virus season in high gear, many kids are dealing with flu. One of her patients is assigned for discharge, and Roxanne counsels him and his parents on at-home protocol and what to do if symptoms worsen. “You never know the impact you may have on a patient and their family,” she says. “Not too long ago, a former patient came back to thank me for helping them. That meant a lot.”

3 a.m. It’s time for Roxanne to clock out and head home. Once again, she turns on some music to wind down during her drive. After a long day of caring for our patients, she plans to relax for a few minutes before her kids wake up. Settling into a cozy corner of the living room, she decompresses by playing games on her phone—a form of self-care. Her current favorite is Pokémon GO.

6 a.m. As many people’s days are just starting, Roxanne’s day is almost over. But first, she helps her kids get ready for school. She makes them breakfast and packs their lunches while preparing some snacks for herself so she’s ready to go for her next shift. Then, after ensuring her eighth grader and high school senior get on the bus safely, she heads to bed to rest up for another night in the ED with her team. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with the people at Hughes Spalding,” she says. “We make such an amazing team; I never want to work anywhere else.”

*Hughes Spalding hospital is part of Grady Health System and managed by Children’s.

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