Meet Truly Compassionate Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Regina Muir

This post is a part of a blog series highlighting Northwell Health’s Advanced Clinical Providers (ACP). Each Northwell Health employee was nominated by their manager as an individual who exemplifies Northwell Health values.

Regina is no stranger to delivering care within Northwell Health’s network. Having started her career in 1985 as an RN in the Pediatric ED at Cohen Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) she has grown her career alongside Northwell’s growth as an organization throughout the years, becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (NP). As a seasoned healthcare professional impacting the lives of others for over 25 years, Northwell continues to provide Regina with the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Skills that would be essential during the COVID-19 crisis.

Before the pandemic, a typical day for Regina meant examining children prior to surgical procedures and developing a plan of care for them. As the volume of surgeries decreased, Regina knew it would take another level of commitment and compassion to continue to make a difference. With her scope of practice as a Pediatric NP limited to patients aged 21 and younger, Regina volunteered to work temporarily as a registered nurse so she would be able to provide care during COVID-19 to adult patients.

Many team members took on reassignments across the network but Regina notes that regardless of the role that was asked of the staff, each understood the value of their place on the team. “I knew that I worked with an amazing group of people but I had not realized the strength and compassion of our team,” says Regina. As an RN, Regina worked first in the ED at LIJ Medical Center and then on the medical floors to help with increased patient volumes.

Maintaining the same level of compassion from her work as an NP, Regina went above and beyond with her colleagues on the medical floors to create a comfortable experience for patients in need of care by setting up a cart filled  with basic items for care such as deodorant, wonderful smelling soaps and lotions, lip balm, among other items, to help patients feel more comfortable and at home. “We added to the cart as we found items patients needed like extended phone chargers so the patients could charge their phones from bed and earphones so patients could block the noise and sleep. I watched my colleagues do so many wonderful things,” says Regina.

The collaborative and helpful spirit of the team members would continue beyond the hours they were needed to work. Building bonds with their patients, Regina and her team members would text to check in on them and even show up to see patients off to rehab or be discharged on their days off. When one patient was discharged after 45 days in their care, Regina and her unit organized a red carpet to see him off.

“The PST ACPs did many things for patients but most importantly they made a personal connection, finding out about them, their history, and their family,” Regina says. And though there were extremely challenging moments as some patients lost their fight against COVID, the team still found ways to rally and provide each patient with the best care possible.

Northwell offers unique opportunities for each employee to learn and grow, and for someone as compassionate as Regina, it’s the perfect place to be. Regina says, “I am so proud to be an ACP at CCMC, and at Northwell. The past few weeks have truly made me appreciate how special my colleagues and Northwell are. We have met so many exceptional team members who work in a variety of roles here. They are truly ‘Made for this.’” All of us are proud of Regina, a Truly Compassionate ACP!

If you’re Made for working with a team of exceptional advanced clinical providers, explore our ACP opportunities at Northwell Health.