Staff
Profiles
Tanya Beard
Pediatric RN, Secure Adolescent Inpatient
Program (SAIP)
Trillium Children's Farm Home
 Tanya began working at Children's Farm Home in March, 2005,
just after the opening of the Secured Adolescent Inpatient
Program (SAIP) unit. The SAIP unit was created to serve adolescents
who were, up to that point, being treated at the State Hospital
in Salem. Prior to her coming aboard at Trillium, Tanya had been a Pediatric
RN for 7 years, all in an inpatient setting. "I really like kids a lot," says
Tanya. Her first nursing experience was in the cancer treatment unit at Doernbecher
Children's Hospital. She found the patients there "really amazing."
"I have very strong respect for children," Tanya states. "It's
important to avoid condescension, no matter what age or condition you're dealing
with. I really try to personalize my care. When I walked on campus at Children's
Farm Home the first time, it was a really good feel. The atmosphere here is so
different than that of the hospital. The campus is great. There's such a sense
of good intention and people working really hard to accomplish the mission of
the organization. This truly is one of the best career moves I've made."
When asked about challenges, Tanya relates that progress is seen much more gradually
than you might find in other healthcare settings. "It's a one-day-at-a-time
thing," she states. "You have this distressed group of adolescents,
and you are one of the people who is there to offer support. That means you are
there to celebrate the good days and catch the brunt of the bad days. It can
be quite draining." Fortunately, she notes, team members are there for support. "The
team approach is very intact here," she states.
Tanya has arranged to work weekends at Children's Farm Home while she pursues
studies at OHSU to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She wants to keep
her focus on children, adolescents and families.
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