Ruthie Youssefi, APRN-CNP, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Akron Children’s.
Every day at Akron Children’s, we strive to deliver compassionate care and create positive experiences for our patients and families. This month, we’re spotlighting Ruthie Youssefi, APRN-CNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner, who recently received the following feedback from a patient family:
“Ruthie (Youssefi) was phenomenal! My daughter was nervous during this visit and cried, but Ruthie spoke so kindly to her, comforted her, asked questions about unrelated things (to build rapport and show interest in my daughter’s life). I couldn’t be happier with my visit with this provider. Ruthie also spent so much time with us. I never felt rushed. I felt like she was listening to me. She validated things that I said and offered her opinion. My daughter was particularly nervous about the physical exam and Ruthie never made her feel pressured. She was incredibly flexible. Ruthie is the ideal provider for a children’s hospital.”
How long have you worked at Akron Children’s, and what’s your role?
I started at Akron Children’s in 2001 as a nurse tech, while I was still in nursing school. After I graduated in 2003, my husband and I briefly moved to Cincinnati. We came back a few months later, and I’ve been at Akron Children’s ever since. I’ve been with the Urology department for 20 years, and now, I’m a nurse practitioner.
Reflecting on this experience and the feedback you received, how do you feel about it?
It feels awesome that someone shared this. I try hard to be a good provider, and this was a nice reminder of why I work in this field and started at Akron Children’s. I’m here for the kids. It’s always nice to know that people value and appreciate the work we do.
How do you build rapport with your patients to make them feel comfortable?
Urology can be a sensitive area and subject to talk about, so I try to ask them about other things like, where do you go to school? Do you play sports? I focus on them as a person first, and then build on that rapport to find out more about why they’re here.
If I do an exam, I try to be sensitive in my approach to make them comfortable. I also reassure them that I see a lot of other kids with the same issues. I want them to know that even if it’s something people don’t talk about with their friends or neighbors, it’s common, and they’re not alone.
What does patient- and family-centered care mean to you? How do you strive to deliver that care?
To me, it means including everyone in the process. I occasionally get behind on my charting, because I don’t like looking at a computer screen while I’m talking to a patient or family. I like to hear from mom and dad, but also like to hear directly from the patient, especially if we’re looking at treatment plans. I involve the patient and ask, “How are you feeling about this?” It’s important that we decide together.
What do you most enjoy about your work at Akron Children’s?
I’ve always known that I wanted to work with kids, so I can’t imagine not working in this field and caring for children. Working here allows me to do that every single day.
I also love to teach, and there’s an aspect of that in my job. In Urology, I can teach kids how to do certain things, like catheterize themselves. On occasion, I’ll get a MyChart message that says, “Hey, I’m doing it myself! Mom and dad don’t have to help me anymore.” That’s awesome, and it always makes me feel good to know that they’re learning.
