Team of ISN Educational Ambassadors Provide Week-long Training in Sister Renal Center in Romania
Staff from the Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New York, and the Mari Curie Pediatric Clinical Emergency Center (MCPCE) in Bucharest during the ISN Educational Ambassador’s visit to Romania in September
A team of five ISN Educational Ambassadors from the Cohen Children’s Medical Center (Northwell Health), New York, USA, traveled to Romania in October to spend a week training nephrologists, pathologists, pediatricians, and dialysis nurses in the Mari Curie Pediatric Clinical Emergency Center (MCPCE) in Bucharest.
The two centers are currently at level C of the ISN Sister Renal Centers (SRC) Program.
Renal pathologist Vanesa Bijol, pediatric nephrologists Laura Castellanos Reyes and Christine Sethna, dialysis nurse Joanne Seylar, and pathology technician Robert Santoianni spent three days processing kidney biopsies, analyzing patterns of injury seen on kidney biopsies and discussing clinical cases with staff at the MCPCE.
Two days were dedicated to training on chronic kidney disease management and complications and renal replacement therapies (RRT). The guest team also visited the pediatric nephrology ward and dialysis unit and presented a workshop for catheter placement and dialysis prescriptions.
Commenting on the value of the visit, Andrei Capitanescu, emerging center liaison officer, stated, “The event allowed staff to get to know the ambassadors, strengthening connections for further collaboration.” Dr. Capitanescu said that in light of feedback from the visiting experts, the center planned to develop the pathology laboratory, update policies for RRT and adjust PD catheter placement practices.
Vanesa Bijol, from the supporting center, adds, “There were plenty of opportunities for us to understand the needs of the center better, learn about their challenges and exchange different experiences in practice.”
Nurse Joanne Seylar hopes that time spent in the Romanian center via the ISN Educational Ambassadors Program “Will inspire caregivers to improve their knowledge and skills so that their patients receive the highest quality of care in any circumstances.”
The two centers continue their progress through the SRC program with planned online conferences on different topics and future staff visits to the US center.
Applications to the ISN Educational Ambassadors Program are welcomed year-round. Find out everything you need to know about the program and read the application guidelines here.
