Celebrating nursing excellence

“The pandemic has taught me that flexibility is often a cornerstone for innovation. I have worked in 5 different clinics over the past year and at each clinic I could see a different area of opportunity. This experience has allowed me to develop this role more fully.”

Jade Stevens, RN, Colorado Region

“2020 came with a host of challenges. We had to reexamine the adage of ‘this is the way we have always done it’ and create a new normal for patient care. While it sounds like a simple ask, we have had to extend our empathy to ensure we consider the anxiety and mental fatigue our patients and family members are going through. I have worked to embrace this change to make sure that my team continues to provide the best care for our members and their families.”

Randilyn Holmes, RN, Georgia Region

“COVID-19 arrived into this world like a hurricane, bringing much despair and grief, hitting every country worldwide. I'd like to think that nurses helped bring some hope and comfort to patients with plenty of reassurance, education, and yet honesty of the unknown. Nurses have always been patient advocates and coordinators of care, but even more so during this pandemic. We have had to use creative ways and opportunities to provide care efficiently and to adapt to constantly changing guidelines. We educated ourselves and our patients so we could provide more confidence in our role and lead the community to a better new year.”

Adele Inoue, RN, Hawaii Market

“Going above and beyond to provide the very best care we can to our members defines excellence, and performing at your highest level requires effort from the entire team. When our team began conducting bilateral cataract procedures, we developed a systematic process with enough time and support to set up a sterile field and all the right equipment to ensure that each patient received the best care. When I see patients come in for surgery anxious but go home with huge smiles, I feel proud of our team and leadership.”

Mary Grace Calalang, RN, Mid-Atlantic States Region

“Each day, I come to work with the mindset that I will provide the best care that I possibly can every day for every patient. I speak up as my patients’ advocate and voice and look out for their best interests. I look for ways that I can improve. I always hold high that my patients are trusting me to make the best decisions so that they can achieve their best outcomes.”

Adina Rimes, RN, Northwest Region

“From my perspective, leading across Home Health and Hospice is a full team effort built on mutual trust and respect, ethics and integrity, and shared decision-making and problem-solving. It’s important to model decision-making that is moral and ethical and to take time to develop quality relationships by treating others fairly, being reliable, showing care and compassion, and listening with an intention to learn and understand.”

Mindy Prestia, RN, Northern California Region

“I always ask questions and seek answers. As a research enthusiast, I campaign for clinical research and encourage my fellow nurses to engage and participate in conducting future research studies. I have a passion for acquiring new knowledge and applying it to solve problems in health care. Educating patients and applying evidence-based practices at the bedside will improve patient care safety and outcomes. Nurses are not limited to caring and healing; we also give hope.”

Rosalina G. Mendoza, RN, Southern California Region

“Leading is about collaborating with my colleagues, fostering a shared sense of commitment to providing excellent care, and showing up as a positive role model. I look forward to navigating challenges. I celebrate every triumph with my colleagues, and always seek out best practices to implement and share in the multiple clinics where I work.”

Liam Malpass, RN, Washington Region