Carissa Cleverley-Valencia
May 2025
Carissa
Cleverley-Valencia
,
BSN, BA, RN
Ambulatory GI Medical Oncology Practice
UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
San Francisco
,
CA
United States
Stripping off her own shirt, she used it as a compress to control his bleeding while reassuring him that help was on the way. In his most vulnerable moment, Carissa’s presence and swift actions provided not only lifesaving medical care but also the human connection and comfort he desperately needed.
Carissa Cleverley-Valencia shows extraordinary dedication to patient care, clinical excellence, and leadership in times of crisis. Carissa’s unwavering commitment to nursing shows every day in her day-to-day patient care, but was exemplified when she encountered a victim of a violent and unprovoked shooting in San Francisco.
Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, offering critical first aid in the moments before emergency responders arrived. Stripping off her own shirt, she used it as a compress to control his bleeding while reassuring him that help was on the way. In his most vulnerable moment, Carissa’s presence and swift actions provided not only lifesaving medical care but also the human connection and comfort he desperately needed.
The victim describes Carissa as the "first angel" who grounded him during his traumatic, life-threatening ordeal. Her ability to remain calm under pressure, assess the severity of his injuries, and take immediate, decisive action is a testament to her clinical expertise and deep compassion. There is no doubt that her intervention played a crucial role in his survival.
Beyond this heroic act, Carissa continues to embody excellence in nursing through her work at UCSF Health. She is actively engaged every day, advocating tirelessly and fiercely to improve patient care. She will make sure no rock goes unturned to make sure her cancer patients get what they need. Her dedication extends above and beyond. She continuously strives to elevate her patients' care and advocates for both patients and her fellow nurses and team members constantly.
Carissa Cleverley-Valencia represents the very best of nursing—selfless, skilled, kind, compassionate, and deeply committed to the well-being of others. Her bravery, compassion, and professionalism make her more than deserving of the DAISY Award. I wholeheartedly endorse her nomination and celebrate the profound impact she has on patients, colleagues, and the community. I am writing to nominate my colleague, Carissa Cleverley-Valencia, and recognize her steady, unwavering support for patients.
In her daily role as an oncology practice nurse, this means connecting our patients with the resources needed to access unaffordable therapies for their cancers, following their care even in the community setting, and advocating for them when they return home to their often-underserved communities and understaffed provider teams. Exceptionally, her responsibility to our community does not end when her shift does.
Very recently, while driving home in San Francisco, she heard what she thought may have been the sound of multiple gunshots. When the light changed, she turned the corner and saw a person screaming and profusely bleeding. Without thinking, she immediately pulled her car over, ran to the man, and ripped her shirt off to apply compression to a gunshot wound in his face. She called attention to a passerby, getting them to call 911, and she stayed with the man, applying pressure to his wounds and comforting him while they waited for EMS.
What strikes me most about this story isn’t that she jumped into action to help a stranger, saving his life, but afterwards, she did not see her actions as anything extraordinary. When she shared this story with me the next day, it wasn’t for the purpose of sharing a wild and unexpected event. She wanted to examine her actions and see if she could have done anything better. Should she have assessed all of his wounds before applying pressure to the wound in his face? Is there a class to take to be better prepared for such events in the community?
At work, we respond as a team in a well-equipped setting, in the community, you’re likely alone and without the tools we rely on. Will he be able to access the extensive medical care he’ll need? Should we keep things in our cars to be better prepared in the future? She never questioned her response, running toward the scene of a crime, or her actions, which left her shirtless and covered in blood on the side of a public street. Without doubt, she’d do it all again.
I am happy to share that she was able to meet with the gentleman she saved. During their meeting, he shared his gratitude to his “angel” and his astonishment that she wasn’t nearby on the street when it happened, but that she pulled her car over and ran towards him.
Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, offering critical first aid in the moments before emergency responders arrived. Stripping off her own shirt, she used it as a compress to control his bleeding while reassuring him that help was on the way. In his most vulnerable moment, Carissa’s presence and swift actions provided not only lifesaving medical care but also the human connection and comfort he desperately needed.
The victim describes Carissa as the "first angel" who grounded him during his traumatic, life-threatening ordeal. Her ability to remain calm under pressure, assess the severity of his injuries, and take immediate, decisive action is a testament to her clinical expertise and deep compassion. There is no doubt that her intervention played a crucial role in his survival.
Beyond this heroic act, Carissa continues to embody excellence in nursing through her work at UCSF Health. She is actively engaged every day, advocating tirelessly and fiercely to improve patient care. She will make sure no rock goes unturned to make sure her cancer patients get what they need. Her dedication extends above and beyond. She continuously strives to elevate her patients' care and advocates for both patients and her fellow nurses and team members constantly.
Carissa Cleverley-Valencia represents the very best of nursing—selfless, skilled, kind, compassionate, and deeply committed to the well-being of others. Her bravery, compassion, and professionalism make her more than deserving of the DAISY Award. I wholeheartedly endorse her nomination and celebrate the profound impact she has on patients, colleagues, and the community. I am writing to nominate my colleague, Carissa Cleverley-Valencia, and recognize her steady, unwavering support for patients.
In her daily role as an oncology practice nurse, this means connecting our patients with the resources needed to access unaffordable therapies for their cancers, following their care even in the community setting, and advocating for them when they return home to their often-underserved communities and understaffed provider teams. Exceptionally, her responsibility to our community does not end when her shift does.
Very recently, while driving home in San Francisco, she heard what she thought may have been the sound of multiple gunshots. When the light changed, she turned the corner and saw a person screaming and profusely bleeding. Without thinking, she immediately pulled her car over, ran to the man, and ripped her shirt off to apply compression to a gunshot wound in his face. She called attention to a passerby, getting them to call 911, and she stayed with the man, applying pressure to his wounds and comforting him while they waited for EMS.
What strikes me most about this story isn’t that she jumped into action to help a stranger, saving his life, but afterwards, she did not see her actions as anything extraordinary. When she shared this story with me the next day, it wasn’t for the purpose of sharing a wild and unexpected event. She wanted to examine her actions and see if she could have done anything better. Should she have assessed all of his wounds before applying pressure to the wound in his face? Is there a class to take to be better prepared for such events in the community?
At work, we respond as a team in a well-equipped setting, in the community, you’re likely alone and without the tools we rely on. Will he be able to access the extensive medical care he’ll need? Should we keep things in our cars to be better prepared in the future? She never questioned her response, running toward the scene of a crime, or her actions, which left her shirtless and covered in blood on the side of a public street. Without doubt, she’d do it all again.
I am happy to share that she was able to meet with the gentleman she saved. During their meeting, he shared his gratitude to his “angel” and his astonishment that she wasn’t nearby on the street when it happened, but that she pulled her car over and ran towards him.