Charlene Maxen celebrated 50 years of service at Akron Children’s.
Charlene Maxen began her nursing career at Akron Children’s in 1974. Now, after an incredible 50 years of service with the hospital, she plans to retire in March.
“When I graduated nursing school, I knew I wanted to go into pediatrics. I’m not even sure why. I was just drawn to it,” Charlene recalled. “Once I was here, it just felt right. I never thought about leaving Children’s.”
She began her career working the night shift as a staff nurse on the infant floor. After starting a family, she transitioned to a part-time float nurse role. After several years, she transferred to the Hematology-Oncology department, where she found her home within the organization for the next 40 years.
“Once I got into that department, I loved it so much. I just knew I was never going to leave,” she said. “It’s a big a family atmosphere there. Sometimes [the patients] have to come in every day, or two to three times a week, for treatment so they might see you more than they see their immediate family.”
Charlene was a staff nurse, nurse practitioner and outpatient manager before becoming case manager for the inpatient unit and outpatient clinic. She has cared for countless patients and families, as they navigated treatment for pediatric cancer and blood disorders. It’s a challenging field, but one where Charlene found purpose and fulfillment.
“Like anywhere else, there’s happy times and there’s sad times. But kids are so resilient,” she said. “You could do a procedure, and they would come running down the hall 5 minutes after that to give you a hug. You really have to be there to see it and to see how everybody works together.”
Charlene’s commitment to Akron Children’s extended beyond her role as a nurse. For several years, she volunteered at the hospital with her husband through the Doggie Brigade program.
“Our dog, Tequila, was in the Doggie Brigade,” said Charlene. “She was a golden retriever, and she loved to go to the hospital. We often took her to the Hematology-Oncology floor. I always felt like that was a nice lead-in for patients, especially new patients. They would see me there with my dog, and then when they would come to the clinic for their first visit, they would see a familiar face.”
Throughout her career, Charlene has seen not only the hospital’s continued growth but also incredible advancements in pediatric cancer research, therapies, treatment and success.
“When I first started, we didn’t have a lot of things, like implanted ports, so you didn’t have to stick someone for an IV,” Charlene recalled. “Now, the success rates and cure rates have totally increased. All of the treatments are so different. There is immune therapy. There are bone marrow transplants. There’s a use of sedation. There are also more outpatient treatments available, so patients don’t have to be admitted to the hospital as often.
“At Akron Children’s, our Hematology-Oncology staff has increased by a lot, as well as the number of doctors,” she added. “We have nurse practitioners available 24/7. Research has also really increased.”
As she retires, Charlene is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Jim.
Charlene’s last day at Akron Children’s is March 17. As she heads into retirement, Charlene said she’s looking forward to traveling and spending more time with her husband of 50 years, Jim, and their 17-year-old dachshund, Buckeye.
When asked what has brought her the most joy throughout her tenure, Charlene said the answer is simple: “It’s always the patients and their families. Working with kids who have cancer and blood disorders, it’s very rewarding.”
