LEXINGTON PARK, Md. – NAS Patuxent River is well known for its groundbreaking work in the field of naval aviation. But not far from the airfield and hangars, Pax River’s Child and Youth Programs (CYP) has made history as well, hiring the Navy’s first CYP registered nurse.
The new position is part of a two-year pilot program that provides a medical administrator for the approximately 640 children enrolled in the Pax River CYP.
A New Role with a Familiar Mission
Stefania Hoover, RN, joined the Pax River CYP team after gaining experience through a variety of nursing positions, including clinical, emergency room, and ambulatory care. While she found that work rewarding, she was looking for something more.
“I started clinical, and I loved it, then started going into school health, and loved it,” said Hoover. “Then I did some case management in school health – school nursing. But what really drew me to CYP was I grew up on military bases. My dad was Air Force, and I really wanted to get back into that community. So when this job came available I was like, ‘it would be a good chance to work with the community I’m really comfortable with,’ and the job description sounded great.”
As the sole registered nurse for Pax River CYP, Hoover provides medical expertise on matters such as health forms, allergies, medications, and other children’s health concerns at the three CYP buildings on base. She noted that having a medical professional’s oversight on these matters helps prevent mistakes and allows teachers and caregivers to focus more on the children.
“All the teachers and caregivers are educated and make sure no mistakes happen in that regard, but just having a nurse’s eyes on these medical forms means you’ll notice more details,” said Hoover. “I’m actually very honored to be given this chance. There’s a lot of room to build onto this program, so I’m just really excited to see what we do with it.”
Expanding Care and Inclusion
One of Hoover’s goals is to expand enrollment for higher-need children within Pax River’s CYP.
“Things can change for the program, but hopefully as the CYP nurse program expands and develops, we’ll be able to include children with any type of disability, any type of medical need,” said Hoover.
CYP leadership is also enthusiastic about the program’s potential. Jamie Lee Curtis, Installation Child and Youth Program Director for Patuxent River, said Hoover’s involvement provides an added level of care and confidence to families.
“Bringing a registered nurse onto the CYP team will foster greater trust with families when making critical decisions such as whether a child needs to be sent home or seen by a medical provider, because we’ll have expert medical guidance available on site,” said Curtis. “Stefania is a real force multiplier when it comes to staff training and support on the things she’s an expert in. They’re still ready to act if needed, but she’s an added level of authority and expertise when it comes to medical advice and care in CYP.”
About Pax River CYP
Pax River CYPs are open to children of active-duty service members, active reservists, Department of Defense employees, and DoD contractors. CYP professionals use the Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies to provide developmentally appropriate activities that nurture children socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually—helping them reach developmental milestones and achieve school readiness skills.
For more information, visit www.navymwrpaxriver.com/child-youth.