Spotlight Award

APSNA is proud to recognize Mary Maginas as our Third Quarter Spotlight Award winner!

Mary is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Trauma Program Manager at Rady Children’s Health of Orange County, where she helps lead the care and quality-improvement efforts of a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. She has more than 15 years of experience in pediatric healthcare, with a diverse clinical background that includes pediatric neurosurgery, general pediatrics, hospital medicine, and trauma.

Mary earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Columbia University in 2007 and began her career as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She spent more than a decade caring for children with complex neurological and neurosurgical conditions at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare and Boston Children’s Hospital before transitioning into pediatric hospital medicine and trauma care.

In her current leadership role, Mary is involved in trauma program development, performance improvement, injury prevention, professional education, trauma registry operations, and preparation for American College of Surgeons trauma verification. She has a particular interest in improving the care of children with traumatic brain injuries and responding to emerging pediatric injury trends, including injuries associated with e-bikes.

Mary is also a dedicated professional leader and an active member of APSNA. She serves as Co-Chair of the APSNA Trauma Special Interest Group and as Chair of the Pediatric Trauma Society Advanced Practice Committee. She is certified as a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse and serves as an instructor for both Advanced Trauma Life Support and the Trauma Nursing Core Course.

Mary’s commitment to education was especially evident through her contributions to APSNA’s Trauma Pre-Conference. Her presentation on venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and her leadership during the Trauma Skills roundtable provided attendees with practical, relevant knowledge that they could take back to their clinical settings.

Above all, Mary is passionate about supporting the advanced practice providers and nurses who care for pediatric trauma patients. Her clinical expertise, leadership, generosity, and dedication to improving outcomes for injured children embody the spirit of the APSNA Spotlight Award.

Please join us in congratulating Mary Maginas on this well-deserved recognition!