To be proficient with transplant related care, patients and families require a significant amount of education during their transplant hospitalization to support the high-level management required once they are discharged. We will hear from a post-liver transplant parent’s perspective on her experiences with discharge education and transition to home as well as how she continues to mentor and advocate for family-centered care and education. Utilizing similar parent experiences, we will showcase a pediatric transplant center’s experience in developing a comprehensive post-transplant discharge education process which has allowed families and caregivers to leave the hospital confident in their child’s ongoing fundamental transplant needs and overall care.
Learning Objectives
Discuss parent education needs and expectations for transplant discharge education.
Discuss how to develop a core discharge education team to provide consistency in education and reinforcement of discharge content to ensure a successful transition home.
Review tools and strategies used to develop a comprehensive transplant discharge education process for patients and caregivers.
Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, USA
SPLIT - Member of Education and Multi-D Committees
Megan Faseler, BSN, RN, CPN, CCTC, has been a liver transplant nurse coordinator at Children’s Mercy Hospital since 2011. Megan is a member of the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) Education Committee as well as the Multi- D Committee. She is also a member of the American Society of Transplantation (AST).
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
SPLIT - Member of Education and Multi-D Committees
Michelle Nadler is formerly a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with the Liver and Kidney Transplant Programs at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She started as a graduate nurse in 1987 at St. Louis Children’s Hospital where she has continued her career in nursing for the past 36 years. She completed her baccalaureate degree in 1991, the same year she joined the Liver and Kidney Transplant Team as a Transplant Nurse Coordinator. After completing her Masters Degree in Nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she transitioned into her current role as Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for the Liver and Kidney Transplant Programs in 2000. She has presented locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally on various topics in pediatric liver transplant. She has been a past board member of the Mid-America Division of the American Liver Foundation and is also been a member of the International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA). Michelle joined the SPLIT community in 1999 and has served in multiple roles including Chair of the Transplant Coordinators/Allied Health Committee and served as the Allied Health Representative on the Executive, Council and Education Committees.
SPLIT - Member of PFEP (Pediatric Family and Engaged Partners)
Emma Long, a devoted mother and mental health therapist, balances her career and family life with advocacy work in the pediatric liver transplant community. She is inspired by her son Peter’s health journey and the life-saving care he received at the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital’s Transplant Program. Throughout that transformative experience, Emma navigated the complex world of healthcare, post-transplant care, and emotional support for her family.
Her connections with other families facing similar challenges have fueled her passion for advocacy and mentorship, emphasizing the importance of family-centered care and education. Alongside her son's donor, Sophie, Emma is dedicated to a lifetime of advocacy work, aiming to improve transplant programs and inspire gratitude for the professionals who work tirelessly to support patients like Peter and their families.
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
St. Louis Children’s Hospital, USA
Lynn is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specializing in the Liver and Kidney Transplant Programs at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 1998 and initially worked at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in the pediatric emergency department. In 2004, she transitioned to the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, broadening her expertise. Lynn furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science in Nursing from Rush University School of Nursing in 2010.
She went on to work at St Louis Children’s Hospital and for the next 10 years caring for critically ill children in the PICU before joining the pediatric transplant team in 2020. As a nurse practitioner, Lynn continues to supports children and their families throughout their transplant journey. She collaborates closely with a multidisciplinary team as she continues to develop a comprehensive discharge education process post- transplant utilizing evidence-based research to inform clinical decisions and enhance outcomes for pediatric solid organ transplant recipients