Award-winning nurse makes mental health for youth a keystone of practice

UNIVERSITY CITY (WPVI) -- Nurses play so many roles in the everyday life & health of our region. Independence Blue Cross honors some of those nurses with the annual Sunshine Awards.

One of this year's honorees puts mental health front and center in her practice.

"I've always been a super-big science nerd and I've had a strong connection with children," says Alexandra Uscatu, RN, MSN, CRNP.

For Alexandra, who goes by Lexi, pediatric nursing was the perfect merger.

By the time Lexi began at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, she knew how important mental health care was for every child - even those in routine care.

"I was seeing it in Philly suburbs, I was seeing it in North Philadelphia, I was seeing it when I came to work," she notes. "I just had this feeling that kids needed help everywhere."

Through the hospital's Community Nurse Advocacy Fellowship, she developed a program at Boys' Latin charter school called BREATHE: Balance, Resilience, Emotional Awareness, Tools for Healing and Empowerment. She describes it as a mental health toolkit.

"Power Point number one is always understanding your emotions with Nurse Lexi," she says. "There are certain things like stress and relaxation techniques or coping skills that we're working through, but then there's also tangible items like fidget spinners, stress balls, sensory stickers," she adds.

Lexi says the program is adaptable for any age and doesn't require a nurse to present. It's part of her mission to bring healthcare that looks like all children to children everywhere.

"What they really do out in the community, it's amazing. Doing the things that need to happen without even being asked. Finding needs and solving them," says Koleen Cavanaugh, senior vice-president and marketing chief at Independence Blue Cross.

Cavanaugh says the late marketing chief Paula Sunshine was inspired by nurses like Lexi to create Celebrate Caring.

Lexi says she connects to students through a simple principle - listening.

"They will tell you what works and what doesn't work," she says, adding, "They have taught me more than I will ever teach them."

Lexi learned of the award between two night shifts and didn't think it was real at first. She plans to direct the prize donation from IBX to Boys Latin to continue mental health care.