Meet the HI Center’s Nurse Coordinators

Jordan Evans, BSN, RN The role of nurse coordinator is crucial to the smooth operation of the Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. We’re lucky to have two outstanding women, Jordan Evans, BSN, RN, and Nicole Stewart, BSN, RN, in this role. They focus on the needs of children and their families — starting before they arrive at CHOP and extending throughout their treatment and follow-up.

They triage emergency calls, call in medication refills, handle direct admissions, attend clinics, and make follow-up calls to families. They act as a go-between with insurance companies, helping with referral requests and authorizations and crafting letters of medical necessity, among other duties.

Nicole Stewart, BSN, RN Here’s your opportunity to get to know Evans and Stewart, who were both recently nominated for the DAISY Award, a hospital-wide recognition of their outstanding service to the center and our patients.

What is your role in the HI Center and how long have you work there?

Evans: I’m one of the nurses you may talk to if you call because your child has hypoglycemia or you have any concerns or questions. The role of nurse coordinator is pretty vast, encompassing not just prescription refills and emergency calls, but also scheduling, coordinating admissions, following up on discharged patients and checking in on patients, as well as some data gathering. I started in January 2018, so I’m been with the team for five years!

Stewart: I’ve been a nurse coordinator in the HI Center since 2015, and I recently celebrated my seventh anniversary as a member of our multidisciplinary team. It’s a multifaceted role that encompasses handling tasks and meeting the needs of our patients. There is not a task that comes across our desk that we do not tackle and solve. It can be challenging, but at the end of the day we do everything we can to make sure all patients’ needs are met.

What do you like best about your job?

Evans: I love working with the families and getting to know each of them through our many phone calls, emails and MyChop messages. No day is ever the same as the last, which keeps things very interesting and fast-paced.

Stewart: I really enjoy working with the patients and their families. They depend on us to help manage their medical needs in the home, and it’s important we all work together to make sure these needs are met. At the end of the day, I am happy knowing I helped make a difference in their lives and that they trust me.

What is your background?

Evans: My background is in nutrition. I obtained my bachelor’s in nutrition from the University of Delaware, and then decided to pursue nursing after graduation. I completed Drexel University’s accelerated nursing program in under one year and obtained my BSN. After graduation, I started in adult medicine/surgical nursing and then worked for a short time in orthopedics at Rothman Institute. It was always my dream to work at CHOP, where I was an endocrinology patient myself.

Stewart: I started at CHOP in 2001, working as an inpatient nurse on the GI/Endocrinology floor until I moved on to my current role. Ever since kindergarten, I knew I wanted to get into nursing. I was always the one running to get the bags of ice or Band-aids to help others. I went to Penn State, where I obtained my nursing degree. For a year, I also did school nursing per diem.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Evans: Outside of work I love spending my time with my family — taking walks, going to the playground with my 2-year-old or watching movies. I also love to explore new restaurants.

Stewart: I have two children, ages 15 and 12. My daughter is into theater, so I enjoy watching her on stage. My son plays travel baseball, so we spend a lot of time on the baseball field. When we have time, we enjoy going camping as a family. My guilty pleasure is karaoke!