| Thirty-eight nurses were honored with Nurse of the Year awards at a public celebration held at Jackson Memorial Hospital. As part of National Nurse Week activities, a licensed practical nurse, an advanced practice nurse, a registered nurse and a rookie nurse from each of Jackson Health System’s patient care centers, specialty areas, satellite centers and hospitals were selected by their colleagues as the nurses who have contributed the most to quality care throughout the system. The nurses received their awards from Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System; and Ric Cuming, R.N., M.S.N., Ed.D, NEA-BC, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nursing executive.
Six nurses were the recipients of the Clinical Excellence Award that is presented annually to the nurse who best exemplifies selfless dedication, compassion and nursing pride system-wide throughout the years.
Clinical Excellence Award winners were Myrlene Denis, R.N., Ambulatory Care Center; Marnie Armbrister, R.N., Holtz Children’s Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Women’s Hospital Center; Pieta Pelobello, R.N., B.S.N., Jackson Memorial Hospital; Elvira De Guzman, R.N., B.S.N., Jackson North Medical Center; Maria Derr, R.N., Jackson South Community Hospital; and Elizabeth Basiratmand, R.N., M.S.N., Jackson Mental Health Hospital.
Myrlene Denis, R.N., was recognized for her excellence in professional practice and her compassion for her patients and their family. As one of the senior nurses in the infusion center, she is an exceedingly competent and knowledgeable chemotherapy nurse. She is an influential, informal leader who is highly respected and sought after by all other staff members in the unit. Her dedication to her profession and empathy towards her patients showcases her nursing excellence. She is always seeking ways to make patients feel special during their infusion. She takes the time to get to know each individual on a personal basis. Consequently, Myrlene is able to address the needs of each patient including contacting other support services to assist when necessary.
Marnie Armbrister, R.N., was honored for consistently displaying professionalism, autonomy, excellent clinical judgment and empathy. Since September 1998, she has worked in the Women’s Hospital Center serving as a charge nurse, preceptor, mentor and friend. In addition, she assists in reviewing the chemotherapy research protocols and has participated as the unit representative for the hospital Cancer Council Committee. Previously, Marnie was nominated as a Nursing Star for Women’s Hospital Center. Since then, she has received many letters of thanks, appreciation and gratitude from both patients and colleagues.
Mamie has also been an active member in the unit practice council since its inception. She currently holds the position as the UPC chairperson and previously held the position of vice-chair. Mamie is certified in chemotherapy. She utilizes her knowledge and expertise to assist the unit practice council members in re-organizing the daily operations of the Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit. She presented this unit practice council project at the Annual Research Consortium where she outlined the improved efficiency of the outpatient unit; patient, staff and physician satisfaction; and presented the financial savings to the hospital.
In addition to her active involvement with the unit practice council and personal responsibilities, Mamie successfully completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing during the summer of 2011.
Mamie’s greatest asset and skill is to lead by example. She always presents a professional attitude and brilliant smile to everyone. A few comments from her colleagues include: “She is a role model, a charge nurse you can rely on, she performs excellent nursing care, she is caring with patients and co-workers, she is flexible to work with and an excellent team leader”.
Mamie is truly invested in making a positive change in the unit and the organization.
Pieta Pelobello, R.N., B.S.N., was recognized for consistently providing excellent patient care, critical thinking skills, and customer service. In 2007, she began nursing career in the Emergency Care Center as a new RN graduate. She successfully completed the Emergency Care Center’s internship program and rapidly blossomed into an efficient clinician and patient advocate. Pieta frequently and willingly assumes the charge nurse role in Emergency Room ‘A.’ She communicates respectfully and effectively with patients, their relatives and her supervisors and colleagues. She understands and complies with the Jackson Health System philosophy of “Patient First and Excellency in Service.” She is liked and very respected by her peers, who frequently compliment her sense of fairness, diligence, assistance, wealth of knowledge, and her ability to work effectively with the most difficult colleagues and situations.
Pieta is a role model who motivates her peers to work as a team. She provides quality, advanced clinical care to her patients in ER ‘A;’ identifies the need for change in a process or system and offers workable solutions. She also understands all quality improvement measures and is often observed explaining the rationale for the measures to her peers. She is a preceptor for new and experienced nurses providing prompt, tactful, honest feedback to those under her tutelage.
As a participating member of the Florida Association Directors of Nursing Administration, Pieta attends their yearly conferences since 2009 (FADONA). FADONA’s mission is to educate and promote leadership in nursing administration. She is also certified in Risk management with FADONA.
Elvira De Guzman, R.N., B.S.N., was honored for her hard work and dedication to the patients, families and colleagues in the Pediatric Unit of Jackson North Medical Center.
Elivira has been a registered nurse at Jackson for the last 18 years. She is passionate about her work in providing safe, quality care and successful outcomes. She takes pride in her work and always goes the extra mile to provide excellent patient care.
In 2010, Elivira received a Service Excellence award for her caring and compassion. Her community involvement includes being active in her church with the “Feed the Hungry” and “Youth” programs.
Her nominator said, “Elvira has received numerous letters of compliments from her patients and families over the years. Knowing that the holidays are especially hard for sick children in the hospital, Elvira organized a pizza party for the patients and families in the Pediatric Unit. Thanks to Elvira the Unit was filled with joy and happiness. The one word that exemplifies Elvira from the Professional Practice Model is “healer.” We can say Elvira has cured many with her caring heart.”
Maria Derr, R.N., was recognized for being a leader, teacher and a patient advocate. She is an expert caregiver who intervenes to halt the progress of disease and promote quality of life. She takes time to explain, educate, and inform patients of their disease processes and nursing plans for care. She calls the physicians on behalf of the patient when clarification is needed.
Maria has good rapport with her co-workers and is highly respected by her peers for her clinical skills as well as her commitment to provide high quality of care and improve patient satisfaction. Her coworkers and physicians consistently use the terms “calming”, “caring”, “positive”, “compassionate”, and “supportive” when asked to describe the quality of work she performs on a daily basis. However, the term that most often characterizes the caliber of her care is “empathy.” This empathy extends to staff in meeting the challenges of a demanding profession and in meeting the needs of her patients.
Her nominator said, “One recent incident that crystallizes her dedication and compassion to her patients is in her care for an autistic patient. Her patient’s mother had forgotten to pick up the medications she brought from home. Maria delivered the medications to the family after her shift ended so that the patient did not have to miss any doses. Another incident involved a patient who suffered end stage cancer. The coping skills and the emotional “toll” exhibited by the family were clear. Maria focused on keeping the patient comfortable as well as spending time with the family. She provided them with both the emotional and spiritual support that they needed at a time when they needed it most. Our unit was filled with more than thirty beautiful orchids sent by the family after the patient passed. The family stated that the flowers were a small token of their appreciation.”
Elizabeth Basiratmand, R.N., M.S.N., was honored for her dedication and compassion to her patients. She always finds the time to interact with patients, families and colleagues. She makes sound judgments based on experience and knowledge thus averting problems. Elizabeth is able to work in partnership with the multidisciplinary team in providing patient care. She has the ability to multi-task while working autonomously. She has an open mind and non-judgmental manner and is always willing and interested to learn new technical skills.
Her nominator said, “Elivira is one of our high performer employees. She is our permanent charge nurse assisting the Nurse Manager and Associate Nurse Manager in unit operations. She is always available to help with problems in the unit operations and provide her peers with anything needed in a timely manner. Elvira also assists with in-service training and orientation with the unit employees. She facilitates the implementation of unit protocols and revised hospital policies. She was the first active member of our first Unit Practice Council Adult Inpatient protocol in mental health.
To qualify for the Nurse of the Year awards, nurses must have been employed for at least three years of continual service; for the “rookie” category, it can be one year or less. The nurses must demonstrate excellence in their job performance, proven by a consistent, above- average evaluation. There can be no record of counseling or disciplinary action in their personnel files within the last three years, and they have to demonstrate fulfillment of Jackson Health System Standards of Excellence. There must also be evidence of well-rounded professional activities that consolidate the nurses as role models.
Honorees for the Nurse of the Year awards are:
Ambulatory Care Center
Guillermo A. Barquero, R.N., B.S.; and Marie Theodat, L.P.N.
Cardiovascular Services
Marie Gelin, R.N.
Community-Based Primary Care Centers
Jackie Master, M.S.N., A.R.N.P., FNP-BC; Maureen Allen-Barnes, L.P.N.; and
Deborah C. Rushing R.N., B.S.N.
Corrections Health Services
Gerry Francois, L.P.N., and Lorena Carrasco, R.N.
Education and Development
Bensita Joseph, R.N., B.S.N.
Emergency Care & Trauma Services
Douglas Houghton, M.S.N., A.R.N.P., ACNPC, CORN; and Gelena Dimaano, R.N.
Holtz Children’s Hospital
Nicole Thompson-Bowie, A.R.N.P., NNP, PNP; Angela L. Jones, L.P.N.; and
Dawn Allen, R.N.
Jackson Memorial Long Term Care Center
Marcell Nicholas, L.P.N., and Bernadette Jeanniton, R.N.
Jackson Memorial Perdue Medical Center
Elizabeth Maybee, L.P.N., and Leonila Liddell, R.N.
Jackson North Medical Center
Barbara Seay, L.P.N., and Marie Jean Louis, R.N.
Jackson South Community Hospital
Carina A. Ryder, A.R.N.P., Maria E. Fernandez, L.P.N., and Dolce Ortaliz, R.N.
Medical-Surgical Hospital Center
Philip Dlugasch, A.R.N.P., Jean Jecrois, L.P.N., and Olive Lewis, R.N.
Jackson Mental Health Hospital
Marie Joseph, R.N., B.S.N.
Ortho-Rehab-Neuroscience Hospital Center
Myrna Lee-Keow, A.R.N.P., M.S.N., FNP-BC; Marietta Gervais, L.P.N.; and
Rocio Mariel Simunovic, R.N., B.S.N., M.H.A.
Perioperative Services
Nichole Crenshaw, A.R.N.P.; Anne-Marie Fernandez, R.N., B.S.N.; and
Jacqueline Buigas, R.N.
Specialty Areas
Maribel Valmocina, A.R.N.P., and Maria Luisa Rodriguez, R.N.
Women’s Hospital Center
Nancy E. Griffis, A.R.N.P, Denise Lamothe, L.P.N., and Ozaida Astapan, R.N.
Jackson Health System, an integrated healthcare delivery system, consists of its centerpiece, Jackson Memorial Hospital, five primary care centers, five specialty care centers, 16 school-based clinics, two long-term care nursing facilities, a network of mental health facilities, Holtz Children’s Hospital, Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital, Jackson Mental Health Hospital, Jackson North Medical Center and Jackson South Community Hospital. Governed by the Public Health Trust, a dedicated team of citizen volunteers acting on behalf of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, Jackson Health System ensures that all residents of Miami-Dade County receive a single high standard of care regardless of their ability to pay. |
