With immense pleasure and pride, I would like to formally nominate Dede Colevas, RN, MSN, CPN, NE-BC for the 2023 CNO DAISY Nurse Leader Award! Dede is the Nurse Manager for 7 East Intestinal Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) and has concurrently fulfilled the role as the interim Nurse Manager for Surgical Care Unit (SCU) for the past six months. Dede has eagerly embraced the opportunity to serve as the interim Nurse Manager for the Surgical Care Unit in the same fashion in which she faces any challenge----with kindness, attentiveness, and a hearty engagement. As Dede has been a dedicated, loyal, and committed nurse leader for more than thirty-five years, she readily welcomed the role and took intentional efforts to genuinely connect in meaningful ways with the SCU staff, patients, and families. From the onset, she fully committed and immersed herself in listening, understanding, and learning as much as she could about the SCU scope, patient population, operational workflows, and most importantly, the SCU team members. Not surprisingly, Dede simply just rolled up her sleeves and dove right in to be an impactful and steadfast leader for the Surgical Care Unit during a transitional period. With a renewed respect and admiration of the SCU, Dede’s astute leadership afforded her the chance to be her very best---i.e., an unwavering source of support, mentorship, and guidance for the team. In return, the SCU team quickly valued and enjoyed Dede’s transparency, closed-loop communication style, agility to resolve issues, and warm-hearted nature. Make no mistake as Dede’s added responsibilities certainly have been time-consuming, she has never lost sight of her ongoing accountability to 7 East IRU and the house-wide projects that she oversees including the Clinical Advancement Program (CAP) and furniture acquisition and management. In true Dede fashion, no less of a commitment was felt by anyone! 

To know Dede is to only appreciate and admire her tenacity, passion, and resiliency in serving others with warmth and generosity.  If you are fortunate enough, then you might be able to even keep pace with Dede as she is a true powerhouse of enthusiasm, endurance, and encouragement to be the best possible version of yourself and to lose yourself in the service of others. Dede embodies our Core Values daily and is the most honest depiction of a selfless and transformational leader at Children’s National. 

Undoubtedly, Dede should be recognized, honored, and celebrated as a DAISY Nurse Leader. Although she often shies away from the spotlight and would much rather prefer for others to be recognized, she is truly an exemplary leader, nurse, colleague, mentor, and friend to many within the organization. For myself, I have the greatest respect, admiration, and gratitude for Dede. Along with many others, I would rejoice in the opportunity to honor her with this notable distinction.

Note: This is Dede's 2nd DAISY Award!