Kelly R. Hicks, MSN, APRN, CNS

Early on in life, I knew I would be a nurse and hoped to work with children. Growing up, my father traveled extensively for work, often taking him abroad. I grew up listening to all of his travel adventures and I hoped to one day follow in his footsteps. Through my career, I found that I could combine my passion for children, travel and international medicine. Today, I’m blessed to have a job that allows me to care for and educate children and their families.

As a clinical nurse specialist, my focus is on travel medicine, international health and international adoption. I am certified in International Travel Health and recently completed classes on immigrant health.

The International Travel Center at Cincinnati Children’s provides comprehensive travel counseling, including routine and travel vaccines, testing and prescription medications for safe travel abroad. We have resources at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when unique travel situations arise. We also have collaborative relationships among disciplines at Cincinnati Children’s to address the concerns of individuals who have increased health risks during travel.

Working in the International Travel Center, I can provide holistic care for the family. Understanding the dynamics of why the family is traveling allows me to cover various aspects of travel education so everyone stays healthy while abroad. By staying healthy, they’re able to enjoy the trip and they won’t bring back an infection that could spread to others in their family, school or community.

In my free time, I enjoy traveling to new places. I love learning about the history, culture and food. My favorite place to be is near the ocean. The sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean breeze are energizing. My favorite times are spent with my family, friends and my dog.