Aimee Gabuya
November 2023
Aimee
Gabuya
,
DNP, RN, CEN, PMH-BC
Mental Health
Hackensack Meridian Health, Carrier Behavioral Health at Raritan Bay Medical Center
Perth Amboy
,
NJ
United States
What I most admire about Aimee is her dedication to her specialty and the professional development of others to help them excel and be the best versions of themselves for our patients.
I would like to nominate Aimee Gabuya to receive the DAISY Nurse Leader Award for Clinical Nurse Educator. Aimee is the Clinical Nurse Educator for Carrier Behavioral Health at Raritan Bay Medical Center. She has been working with this team for many years, sharing her time between Behavioral Health (BH) and the medical side of the house. We have been so lucky to retain her exclusively to Behavioral Health recently. Prior to her exclusivity to Behavioral Health, as the leader of the department, I always wondered, “How does she do it?” She was managing our unique needs as well as her other responsibilities outside of our department. Aimee’s dedication, empathy, compassion, energy, and enthusiasm are consistently evident toward patients and staff alike. Right after the first wave of COVID, Aimee approached the BH team, wanting to do something to support all staff from all departments of the hospital. What was developed was an informal sit down with the support of a psychiatrist and a therapist to give staff the opportunity to just listen or to emote. I had the honor to sit in on a couple of these sessions that she orchestrated and saw the positive impact this intervention had on the staff and for the folks that were offering the support….It was meaningful. Aimee was able to showcase this intervention in a poster presentation for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) to inspire others for the great work done. Fast forward three years later, and now Aimee is full-time with BH. It has been nothing short of amazing to have her on our team. She has made such an impact with her commitment full-time with us. She has assisted her BH colleagues in creating a culture of de-stigmatization and knowledge by assisting in weekly emails hospital-wide to bring awareness about substance use disorders and de-escalation of agitated behaviors. This has been well received by the teams within the hospital that work outside of BH. She has developed our very first Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing academy to support new nurses in their role as a psychiatric nurse and developed educational content for a new role in BH for Mental Health Technicians, all while being a support to the day-to-day needs of education inside and outside of Behavioral Health. What I most admire about Aimee is her dedication to her specialty and the professional development of others to help them excel and be the best versions of themselves for our patients. Aimee has recognized many team members, nominating them for awards who then, in turn, received those awards, she has great ideas and insight to develop specialized education across different audiences, and she knows how to leverage the right people to get things done or to create impressive outcomes for projects. She does this with such patience, professionalism, and grace. Aimee is a great example of a DAISY Nurse and is an inspiration to many of us.
***
Aimee Gabuya is the definition of loyalty to her craft when it comes to working at the Carrier Clinic at Raritan Bay Medical Center. Over the many years that Mrs. Gabuya has worked at Raritan Bay Medical Center, she has helped to create an environment in which everyone feels welcomed and involved. She dedicates her time to helping spread knowledge, not just in her department but also throughout the entire organization and neighboring communities. Each day she comes to the unit, she takes time out of her busy schedule to check on each of the nurses who are working. She ensures that each person is okay and if there is any kind of assistance that they need. Mrs. Gabuya also makes herself available day/night for several team members to reach out to her if any clinical questions need to be answered. When Mrs. Gabuya is providing education to the team members, she creates a stress-free environment where people feel comfortable and excited to learn. She also keeps her sessions upbeat to keep her learner's attention and keeps them wanting to learn more about the subject. This is especially true during her CPI classes, incorporating humor but also keeping a level of seriousness to promote patient and team member safety. She has a wonderful skill of focusing on the learning needs and styles of her team and can mold her teaching style to ensure that all of the information is retained by all. Mrs. Gabuya is always willing to participate in whatever is needed to help create a safe working environment for both team members and patients. An example of her dedication is the creation of the Psychiatric Nursing Academy at Raritan Bay Medical Center. This program was created by Mrs. Gabuya to help provide the proper education to nurses who are new to behavioral health nursing. In this class, Mrs. Gabuya will provide education on psychiatric medications, commonly used psychiatric terminologies, de-escalation, and the use of verbal and non-verbal cues. These are just some of the items that Mrs. Gabuya will touch on to ensure that these nurses will feel comfortable treating behavioral patients and ensure the proper care of their patients. Mrs. Gabuya also includes educators and specialists, from different departments, to help reinforce certain skills that might not be used as often as a medical floor. This would include creating mock code situations and involving cath lab leadership to help provide a higher level of confidence for a team that does not have much interaction with these types of situations. Mrs. Gabuya also works in tandem with the substance abuse nurse navigator and the crisis intervention specialist by sending out weekly emails to all departments to help increase their knowledge on substance and crisis issues. Mrs. Gabuya’s main goal is to provide evidence-based education so all team members, regardless of their department, are capable of seeing their self-worth and excelling in their careers.
***
Aimee was born to teach. She has a natural ability to see potential in other team members and guide them to their greatest abilities. She awakens our desire to learn and try new things that previously we thought were unreachable. She is proud of her team members and the specialty of psychiatric nursing. She frequently encourages us to become certified in our specialty and advance our degrees. She created a psychiatric nursing specialty training course for all new nurses entering the psychiatric field after identifying the need for more focused training in this complex, often overlooked specialty area of nursing. Aimee always volunteers her personal time to help us achieve our goals. Her mentorship is not only open to nurses but all members of the team. Aimee is a team cheerleader. When there is an opportunity for recognition of her team members, she takes her time to nominate so that the team member can be formally recognized. Aimee’s smile is contagious. She fills the room with positive energy when she enters. She is a bright light in times of conflict. She is an expert moderator. She remains neutral when there is discord and is able to bring all points of view together for a common solution. She is able to identify areas that need improvement and formulate innovative strategies to promote change that positively affects both patients and staff. She keeps up with current evidence-based research to make sure our patients are receiving the best care and that nurses are safely practicing with the most current researched best practices. She recently created AWS simulations with herself acting out the role of a patient after identifying an area for improvement. She traveled to all units of the hospital. She made it fun and interactive, which helped everyone better understand how to treat this specific population. Aimee has a knack for explaining things in a way all people can understand. If there is something that we do not understand, we are not afraid to ask for help. She creates a non-judgmental environment that fosters a safe space for all. She never blames you for mistakes or makes you feel less than her. She will help you break down any problem scenario and guide you through every step of the way at your own pace. She empowers you to use your critical thinking skills for the best solution. The quality that makes a great nurse that is often overlooked in Aimee is her humility. All of her work and personal achievements are for the love of her profession, and fellow man, and to better the quality of life of all around her. She never gloats for herself, only the people around her. She has the ability to draw out each individual’s personal greatness. She’s one in a million.
***
Aimee Gabuya is the definition of loyalty to her craft when it comes to working at the Carrier Clinic at Raritan Bay Medical Center. Over the many years that Mrs. Gabuya has worked at Raritan Bay Medical Center, she has helped to create an environment in which everyone feels welcomed and involved. She dedicates her time to helping spread knowledge, not just in her department but also throughout the entire organization and neighboring communities. Each day she comes to the unit, she takes time out of her busy schedule to check on each of the nurses who are working. She ensures that each person is okay and if there is any kind of assistance that they need. Mrs. Gabuya also makes herself available day/night for several team members to reach out to her if any clinical questions need to be answered. When Mrs. Gabuya is providing education to the team members, she creates a stress-free environment where people feel comfortable and excited to learn. She also keeps her sessions upbeat to keep her learner's attention and keeps them wanting to learn more about the subject. This is especially true during her CPI classes, incorporating humor but also keeping a level of seriousness to promote patient and team member safety. She has a wonderful skill of focusing on the learning needs and styles of her team and can mold her teaching style to ensure that all of the information is retained by all. Mrs. Gabuya is always willing to participate in whatever is needed to help create a safe working environment for both team members and patients. An example of her dedication is the creation of the Psychiatric Nursing Academy at Raritan Bay Medical Center. This program was created by Mrs. Gabuya to help provide the proper education to nurses who are new to behavioral health nursing. In this class, Mrs. Gabuya will provide education on psychiatric medications, commonly used psychiatric terminologies, de-escalation, and the use of verbal and non-verbal cues. These are just some of the items that Mrs. Gabuya will touch on to ensure that these nurses will feel comfortable treating behavioral patients and ensure the proper care of their patients. Mrs. Gabuya also includes educators and specialists, from different departments, to help reinforce certain skills that might not be used as often as a medical floor. This would include creating mock code situations and involving cath lab leadership to help provide a higher level of confidence for a team that does not have much interaction with these types of situations. Mrs. Gabuya also works in tandem with the substance abuse nurse navigator and the crisis intervention specialist by sending out weekly emails to all departments to help increase their knowledge on substance and crisis issues. Mrs. Gabuya’s main goal is to provide evidence-based education so all team members, regardless of their department, are capable of seeing their self-worth and excelling in their careers.
***
Aimee was born to teach. She has a natural ability to see potential in other team members and guide them to their greatest abilities. She awakens our desire to learn and try new things that previously we thought were unreachable. She is proud of her team members and the specialty of psychiatric nursing. She frequently encourages us to become certified in our specialty and advance our degrees. She created a psychiatric nursing specialty training course for all new nurses entering the psychiatric field after identifying the need for more focused training in this complex, often overlooked specialty area of nursing. Aimee always volunteers her personal time to help us achieve our goals. Her mentorship is not only open to nurses but all members of the team. Aimee is a team cheerleader. When there is an opportunity for recognition of her team members, she takes her time to nominate so that the team member can be formally recognized. Aimee’s smile is contagious. She fills the room with positive energy when she enters. She is a bright light in times of conflict. She is an expert moderator. She remains neutral when there is discord and is able to bring all points of view together for a common solution. She is able to identify areas that need improvement and formulate innovative strategies to promote change that positively affects both patients and staff. She keeps up with current evidence-based research to make sure our patients are receiving the best care and that nurses are safely practicing with the most current researched best practices. She recently created AWS simulations with herself acting out the role of a patient after identifying an area for improvement. She traveled to all units of the hospital. She made it fun and interactive, which helped everyone better understand how to treat this specific population. Aimee has a knack for explaining things in a way all people can understand. If there is something that we do not understand, we are not afraid to ask for help. She creates a non-judgmental environment that fosters a safe space for all. She never blames you for mistakes or makes you feel less than her. She will help you break down any problem scenario and guide you through every step of the way at your own pace. She empowers you to use your critical thinking skills for the best solution. The quality that makes a great nurse that is often overlooked in Aimee is her humility. All of her work and personal achievements are for the love of her profession, and fellow man, and to better the quality of life of all around her. She never gloats for herself, only the people around her. She has the ability to draw out each individual’s personal greatness. She’s one in a million.