Jenilea Thomas, DNP, APRN, CPNP AC/PC, NNP-BC

Education
DNP Leadership-Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR
Post-Masters Neonatal NP- University of Ohio, Cincinnati, OH
Post-Masters Acute Care PNP- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
MSN-University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
BSN-University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

Work and Education
Dr. Jenilea Thomas serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON). With 17 years of diverse experience, she has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in various specialties, including pediatric critical care, neurosurgery/trauma, urgent care, and neonatal intensive care across both academic and community hospital settings. Dr. Thomas specializes in doctoral-level teaching and scholarship in pediatric primary and acute care. She holds national certifications as a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. Additionally, Dr. Thomas brings a wealth of experience as a clinician, leader, and business owner to her role in training the next generation of pediatric nurse practitioners.

Professional Organizations and Honors
Dr. Thomas is a distinguished expert in her field. She has served on local, national, and international positions in a variety of professional organizations including: the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (Board Member: Community Chair for Houston NAPNAP Society, 2016-2019); District 8 Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine (serves currently on the board); Academy of Distinguished Educators; International Rapid Response Society; Society of Critical Care Medicine; and Central Texas Alliance of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. She has also served on numerous hospital leadership and steering committees. Throughout her career she has received many awards and recognitions such as: the 2023 APRN of the Year for Texas Children’s Hospital; Star Award for Clinical Excellent ( 2022); Norton and Fulbright Award in  Educational Leadership (2020); Norton and Fulbright Award- Teaching and Evaluation (2018);Best Abstract for international oral presentation: Development of a sustainable review and QI process to evaluate pediatric Rapid Response Events with the need for intensive care-specific interventions. International Society of Rapid Response Systems National Outreach Forum, Manchester, England, (2018); Best Abstract for international oral presentation: Family comprehension of family initiated rapid response: a quality initiative to enhance the partnership with families at International Society of Rapid Response Systems National Outreach Forum, Manchester, England, (2018);  Poster Innovation Award, at National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (2015); and Quest Care/Pediatric Urgent Care Employee of the Year (2012).

Articles and Presentations
Dr. Thomas is a highly accomplished Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and is recognized at the state, regional, national, and international levels through her presentations, curriculum development, and publications as a renowned pediatric critical care nurse practitioner with expertise in rapid response, critical care education, APP leadership, curriculum development, creation of community hospitals, and professional development. 

Selected Publications: 

1. Exie Meredith and Jenilea Thomas, “Asthma Care Protocol in the PICU.  Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America, 2023
2. Aarti C Bavare1 MD MPH*, Jenilea K Thomas1 APRN MSN CPNP AC/PC NNP*, Denae Yeppez AA, Carolina Gazzaneo MD, Danielle Guffey MS, Satid Thammasitboon MD MPHPE. “Evaluation of a Theory-Informed Pediatric Rapid Response Training Program using the Logic Model”. Hospital Pediatrics, 2021 
3. Bavare AC, Bracken JA, Guffey D, Graf JM, Thomas JK. Comparison of Rapid-Response Systems Across Multisite Locations of a Pediatric Hospital System. Hosp Pediatr. 2020 07; 10(7):563-569. PMID: 32601053. 
4. Thomas J, Rissmiller B, Riccioni M, & Graf J. “Successful Integration of Advance Practice Providers into a Pediatric Academic Community Intensive Care Unit”. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 34 (3); 279-282, 2020 
5. Bavare AC, Thomas JK, Gurganious, LM, Afonso, NA, Thomas, TA, & Thammasitboon, S.  “Fostering self-determination of bedside providers to promote active participation in rapid response events.” Medical Education Online, Full Article, 24 (1); 2018 
6. Thomas, JK, Bavare, AC, Elliot, E, Morgan, A, & Graf, JM, “Family Initiated Pediatric Rapid Response: characteristics, impetus, and outcomes”; Journal for Healthcare Quality, Full Article, October 6^th, 2017; PMID: 29016408 
7. Thomas J, Bavare A, Elliott E, Morgan A, & Graf J. “Family Initiated Pediatric Rapid Response: Improve Patient Safety by Empowering Families to Express Concern and Seek Care. “ Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 2015; 29 (4):318. 
8. Bavare AC, Thomas JK, Bavare EA, Desai MS, & Graf JM, “Pediatric Rapid Response System: An Exploration of Team Members Perception’; Austin Journal of Pediatrics, Full Article, 2014; 1 (3): 1-5. 

Selected Presentations:
International    

1. Society of Critical Care Medicine Conference, San Diego, CA, February 2019. Outcomes of Pediatric Rapid Response Triggered for Respiratory Decompensation.  K. Meulmester, T. Gupte, J. Thomas, & A. Bavare. (Podium)
2. International Society of Rapid Response Systems National Outreach Forum, Manchester, England, July 2018. Family comprehension of family initiated rapid response: a quality initiative to enhance the partnership with families.  Gurganious, L., Gurganious, S., Hesselgrave, J., Weber, E., Thomas, J., & Bavare. A. (Podium)
3. International Society of Rapid Response Systems National Outreach Forum, Manchester, England, July 2018. Development of a sustainable review and QI process to evaluate pediatric Rapid Response Events with need for intensive care specific interventions. Thomas, J., Abela, K. Morgan, A., Ramsay-Coleman, J. & Bavare. A. (Podium)
4. International Pediatric Simulation Society Conference, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 2018.  An Innovative Simulation-based Workshop to Train Bedside Responders in Essentials of Rapid Response.  Bavare, A., Thomas, J., Afonso, N., Thomas, T., & Thammasitboon, S. (Poster)
5. Society of Critical Care Medicine Conference, San Antonio, TX, February 2018. Characteristics and Outcomes for Pediatric Surgical Rapid Response Events (Podium- Poster)
6. International Conference on Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams, Chicago, IL, May 2017. An Innovative Workshop to Train Bedside Responders in Essentials of Rapid Response. Thomas, J., Gurganious, L., Thammasitboon, S., & Bavare, A. (Poster)
7. World Congress on Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies Conference, Toronto Canada, July 2016. Rapid Escalation of Support Associated with Critical Transfer After Pediatric Rapid Response Events: Characteristics, Outcomes and Quality Improvement. Bavare A, Abela K, Morgan Thomas J, Mullen J, Moreshwar D, Roy K, and Shekerdemian L. (Poster)
8. Pediatric Academic Societies Conference, Baltimore, MD, May 2016; Development of A Pediatric Emergency Response Workshop With The Framework of Self Determination Theory. Bavare A, Gurganious L, Thomas J, Gazzaneo M, Thomas T, Thammasitboon S. (Poster)

National

1. APA’s 10^th Annual Conference on Advancing Quality    Improvement Science for Children’s Health Care meeting. Virtual, April 2021.  Improving Access to Language Services During Rapid Response Events. (Poster)
2. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Conference, Chicago, IL, March 2018.  Advanced Airway Skills Workshop (Workshop)
3. ANCC National Magnet Conference, Orlando, FL, October 2016 Outcomes Evaluation of REACT (Rapid Escalation Associated with Critical Transfer) Events After Rapid Response Activation. Abela, M. Morgan, A., Thomas, J, Bavare, A. (Poster)
4. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Conference, Atlanta, GA, March 2016. Emergency Response Workshop (Workshop)
5. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2015; Family Initiated Pediatric Rapid Response: Improve Patient Safety by Empowering Families to Express Concern and Seek Care.  Thomas J, Bavare A, Elliott E, Morgan A, Graf J. (Poster)

Regional

1. Baylor College of Medicine Education Conference, Houston TX, December 2021. Establish Excellence: Implementation of an on-boarding and continuing education curriculum for PICU APP’s (Podium)
2. Baylor College of Medicine Education Conference, Houston TX, September 2021. Teaching in a Non-Traditional Setting. (Podium)
3. Texas Children’s Hospital Advance Practice Provider Conference, Houston, TX, April 2019. Family Rapid Response (poster)
4. Texas Children’s Hospital Advance Practice Provider Conference, Houston, TX, April 2018. Line Placement Skills Workshop (Workshop)
5. Texas Children’s Hospital Advance Practice Provider Conference, Houston, TX, April 2018. Advanced Airway Skills Workshop (Workshop)
6. Texas Children’s Hospital Advance Practice Provider Conference, Houston, TX, April 2017. Advanced Airway Skills Workshop (Workshop)
7. Baylor College of Medicine Academy of Distinguished Educator Day, Houston, TX, February 2015; Evaluating a Critical care advance practice orientation program using the consciousness competence model. Riccioni, M., Thammasitboon, S., Thomas, J. (Poster)
8. Baylor College of Medicine: Annual Education Retreat, Houston, TX, February 2015; A Pediatric Emergency Response Workshop Using Self Determination Theory As A Theoretical Framework. Bavare A, Gurganious L, Thomas, J, Gazzeno M, Thomas T, Thammasitboon, S. (Poster)
9. Dell Children’s Hospital, Surgical Rounds, Austin, TX, March 2012 “Management of GRID Patients”, (Podium)
10. University of Texas Austin, ACPNP School of Nursing, Austin, TX.  April 2011, “Procedures in the PICU”. (Podium)

Local

1. Texas Tech, Virtual, February 2022, APP Leadership Module. (podium)
2. BCM/Texas Children’s Hospital Faculty Development Promotion and Award Pathway 2020 and 2021
3.  BCM/Texas Children’s Hospital, Faculty Development Education Panel, 2020
4. Texas Tech, Virtual, April 2020, APP Leadership Module. (podium)
5. Texas Children’s Hospital, Katy, TX, February 2020. Mental Health in  Schools. (Podium)
6. Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, West Campus Faculty Development Workshop Lecture, “ CV in Baylor Format”, 2019 (podium)
7. Texas Children’s Hospital, Surgical Hospitalists Noon Conference Lecture, “Sepsis in Surgical Patients”, 2017(Podium)
8. Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, PICU    Nursing Education Series, “DI, CSW, & SIADH”2013(Podium) 
9. Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Section of CCM APP Meeting, “ Renal Pathophysiology and Management”, 2013 and 2015(Podium)
10. Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Section of CCM APP Meeting, “ Ventilator Management”, 2013 (Podium)
11. Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Section of CCM APP Meeting, “ DI, CSW, & SIADH”, 2013 (Podium

Community 
Dr. Thomas is also deeply engaged in her local community. In addition to her teaching responsibilities and spending time with her husband and four children, she serves as a provider in the PICU/NICU. Dr. Thomas is a leader in her community ministry, where she oversees Warrior X Community for Women and Kingdom Kids, an initiative focused on equipping parents to raise children with strong faith values. She is also an active volunteer at her children's school.