Audrey Anaya
May 2020
Audrey
Anaya
,
MSN, RN, CNN
Pediatric Dialysis Unit
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
San Francisco
,
CA
United States
Her unwavering dedication to the patients, families and staff at the UCSF Pediatric Dialysis Unit are incomparable.
In a harrowing and complex pediatric patient unit, Audrey exemplifies selflessness and dedication as a leader. Audrey consistently achieves the difficult balanace of guiding her staff through the process of critical thinking and promotion, and also steps up during critical census times so that her team is never overwhelmed. Audrey continues to be on call at night and on the weekends, making sure her dialysis nurses have the critical rest they need to deliver optimum care for these tenuous patients. Audrey srengthens her team's critical thinking skills by supporting them to be involved in quality improvement projects. Audrey does this in a gentle and encouraging way, always teaching the QI basics and being at their side while figuring out the specifics for a pediatric dialysis population. Audrey's dedication to QI projects in the pediatric dialysis unit has made her a leader in patient quality and safety.
Not only does Audrey lead a team of nurses and dialysis technicians, but she is a key member of the Standardized Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-stage Renal Disease (SCOPE) collaborative. This collective’s goal is to prevent infections in pediatric peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients using large-scale collaboration to identify and spread effective interventions across pediatric care settings. Within SCOPE, Audrey is part of the faculty where she leads monthly webinars, and develops and facilitates discussions at biannual workshops. Additionally Audrey is one of two members leading the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM) innovation group for pediatric hemodialysis patients. Audrey guides all 40+ collaborating centers regarding the ABPM workflow she has developed for measuring intradialytic blood pressures on HD patients, which is critical to the health of this unique patient population. ABPM is the only way to accurately measure blood pressures in between dialysis sessions and at night. It has been instrumental in the improved management of the pediatric hemodialysis patients, not only at UCSF but across the United States.
In additional to Audrey’s support of QI standards, she also demonstrates a deep commitment to her team’s morale, mental health and well-being. Audrey has initiated a Pediatric Dialysis Newsletter for both staff and patients, highlighting birthdays, milestones, and fun facts for the Pediatric Dialysis Unit. This has been a true joy for all involved, emphasizing the commonalities between patients, families and all those who work in the dialysis unit. She started an inspirational Quote of the Month in the team workroom, where anyone can write down an inspirational quote. There have been quotes from Maya Angelou, Mahatma Gandhi and Cookie Monster, all who help the staff gain perspective and take a breather from their stressful workday. Audrey also recognizes that physical health is directly linked to mental health and therefore to support her staff, Audrey created a walking steps challenge in the unit. Audrey actively participates and encourages her staff to participate in the annual Pediatric Transplant Picnic, National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk, and the Torch Relay through the Children’s Miracle Network. Due to Audrey’s promotion of these events, UCSF Pediatric Nephrology and Dialysis has always had a large presence to advocate for our patients.
In expanding her passion for advocating for her patients and families, Audrey enrolled and obtained a Masters of Science in Nursing in the UCSF in Advanced Public Health Nursing. This specialty provides a foundation for planning and evaluating community and public health programs; learning about community and public health concepts, health promotion, population health, population-level interventions, grant writing, health care systems, leadership, and health policy; addressing health disparities of vulnerable and diverse populations; and practicing and consulting in diverse and multicultural settings. In conclusion, Audrey epitomizes the nurse leadership qualities promoted by UCSF Magnet status and the PRIDE values of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Her unwavering dedication to the patients, families and staff at the UCSF Pediatric Dialysis Unit are incomparable. She is a nurse leader who should be recognized and awarded!
Not only does Audrey lead a team of nurses and dialysis technicians, but she is a key member of the Standardized Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-stage Renal Disease (SCOPE) collaborative. This collective’s goal is to prevent infections in pediatric peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients using large-scale collaboration to identify and spread effective interventions across pediatric care settings. Within SCOPE, Audrey is part of the faculty where she leads monthly webinars, and develops and facilitates discussions at biannual workshops. Additionally Audrey is one of two members leading the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM) innovation group for pediatric hemodialysis patients. Audrey guides all 40+ collaborating centers regarding the ABPM workflow she has developed for measuring intradialytic blood pressures on HD patients, which is critical to the health of this unique patient population. ABPM is the only way to accurately measure blood pressures in between dialysis sessions and at night. It has been instrumental in the improved management of the pediatric hemodialysis patients, not only at UCSF but across the United States.
In additional to Audrey’s support of QI standards, she also demonstrates a deep commitment to her team’s morale, mental health and well-being. Audrey has initiated a Pediatric Dialysis Newsletter for both staff and patients, highlighting birthdays, milestones, and fun facts for the Pediatric Dialysis Unit. This has been a true joy for all involved, emphasizing the commonalities between patients, families and all those who work in the dialysis unit. She started an inspirational Quote of the Month in the team workroom, where anyone can write down an inspirational quote. There have been quotes from Maya Angelou, Mahatma Gandhi and Cookie Monster, all who help the staff gain perspective and take a breather from their stressful workday. Audrey also recognizes that physical health is directly linked to mental health and therefore to support her staff, Audrey created a walking steps challenge in the unit. Audrey actively participates and encourages her staff to participate in the annual Pediatric Transplant Picnic, National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk, and the Torch Relay through the Children’s Miracle Network. Due to Audrey’s promotion of these events, UCSF Pediatric Nephrology and Dialysis has always had a large presence to advocate for our patients.
In expanding her passion for advocating for her patients and families, Audrey enrolled and obtained a Masters of Science in Nursing in the UCSF in Advanced Public Health Nursing. This specialty provides a foundation for planning and evaluating community and public health programs; learning about community and public health concepts, health promotion, population health, population-level interventions, grant writing, health care systems, leadership, and health policy; addressing health disparities of vulnerable and diverse populations; and practicing and consulting in diverse and multicultural settings. In conclusion, Audrey epitomizes the nurse leadership qualities promoted by UCSF Magnet status and the PRIDE values of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Her unwavering dedication to the patients, families and staff at the UCSF Pediatric Dialysis Unit are incomparable. She is a nurse leader who should be recognized and awarded!