KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Sept. 26, 2025 鈥� 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Nursing is being honored as a Health Care Champion who goes 鈥渁bove and beyond to make our state鈥檚 residents healthier and happier.鈥� McGrane has been awarded an Excellence in Nursing Award from Rhode Island Monthly.
McGrane, a pediatric and respite care expert, is the Academic Setting winner of the . She has spent her career in pediatric nursing, working in acute, homecare, and community settings, including at Yale New Haven Health and Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital. Academically, McGrane is a nationally certified nurse educator and certified healthcare simulation educator, internationally accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. In addition to teaching and researching at 溏心vlog免费B站, she has 15 years of experience in the K-12 educational setting as a former certified school nurse teacher. She teaches pediatric nursing, primarily in the clinical and simulation setting.
鈥淔rom the beginning, my path of choice was pediatric nursing. I find joy in working with infants, children and families, and knew it would be my future early on,鈥� McGrane said.
Additionally, McGrane is for parents of children with special needs, at no cost to them. For four hours every Saturday afternoon, McGrane and her team of 溏心vlog免费B站 Nursing and Health Sciences students, take care of children with special needs, ranging from mild to severe, giving their parents a chance to take a break from the sometimes daunting responsibilities of care.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a full range of special needs. Some are ambulatory, some not; some are verbal, some non-communicative,鈥� McGrane said of the children in her respite care program, noting it is often difficult for parents to find someone willing and able to care for a child who may have profound special needs. 鈥淭here are kids with autism across the full spectrum, kids with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain injury. We provide direct care in a group setting, and families get some respite to step away and do whatever it is they feel they need to do to take care of themselves.鈥�
Respite care was also the focus of McGrane鈥檚 Ph.D. dissertation, which she completed in 2023, focusing on parental stress and ways to alleviate the challenges they face.
鈥淚 always tell students they are never alone; they are always part of a team,鈥� McGrane told RI Monthly. 鈥淭hey would never leave their colleagues or patients in an unsafe situation and will always chip in to ensure the best possible outcome. The respite program I coordinate is a prime example of faculty and students from multiple nursing programs working together to improve family caregiver sustainability by providing much-needed moments of respite.鈥�
RI Monthly partners with the Rhode Island State Nurses Association to solicit nominations of nurses working in the field. The publication distributes the annual awards in 15 categories, including Community/Home/Public Health Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Recent Nurse Graduate, and more.
“I am proud of Dr. McGrane. She elevates human caring and our profession,鈥� said 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Nursing Dean Danny Willis. 鈥淪he is to be commended for her steadfast vision and advocacy as a nurse and educator who prioritizes making a difference every day in the lives of individuals and families needing expert nursing care and respite. This award is so well deserved!”