Christine Mercado
October 2024
Christine
Mercado
,
MSN, RN, CCRN, TCRN, NEA-BC.
4B ICU
Los Angeles General Medical Center
Los Angeles
,
CA
United States
Christine’s noteworthy talent lies in building strong connections with her staff, the interdisciplinary team, and patients, offering resolute support and empathy even in the most challenging circumstances. Her consistent commitment to professional integrity shines through in each decision and interaction.
It is with great honor that I nominate Christine Mercado for this prestigious award. Having had the pleasure of knowing and working closely with her, I can confidently say that Christine exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional leader. Christine Mercado consistently demonstrates unwavering dedication, compassion, and a commitment of excellence in every aspect of her role. Her ability to inspire and support the team, while ensuring the highest standards of patient care, is truly commendable. It is a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and inspiring leader. Since Christine assumed the role of manager for unit 4B, our team has made significant progress. She encourages each team member to take on new responsibilities and ensures that educational opportunities are accessible and available by demonstrating understanding and flexibility. She has been nothing but inspiring and a positive contribution to our unit. Christine encourages us to be a better version of ourselves by providing a safe environment in which to voice our concerns, allowing us to take on leadership roles, undertake projects, and implement ideas to improve our unit. Under her leadership, we hold the highest number of CCRNs in all the ICU units and have been awarded the Gold Beacon Award from the AACN, among many other achievements. Her unwavering dedication, compassion, and commitment to excellence have been instrumental in our success.
***
There is no one more deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader award than my mentor Christine Mercado, NM Medical ICU/ Cath Lab. She exemplifies outstanding leadership and mentorship here at La General Medical Center. Christine consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership through her transformational approach to managing her staff and the patients under her care.
As a leader, Christine consistently demonstrates a vision of excellence, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. She works to streamline patient care processes to reduce errors and increase efficiency. Christine has an innate ability to inspire and guide her team to work for the common good of the Unit and the whole organization. Christine fosters teamwork by involving her staff in all unit-based projects and incorporates team members' individualized attributes to reach their goals. A testament to this is that this year, her unit 4b Medical ICU received the Golden Beacon award, which she gives all recognition to the staff for their collaborative efforts to achieve this award.
Those who know her know that Christine's brain is wired a bit differently than most, but in a positive/innovative way. Because of this, she constantly is consulted for advice and many individuals of various services seek out her guidance when making important decisions. Often, Christine is praised by her colleagues for her vision and creativity when troubleshooting and finding a resolution to the many challenges that arise from day to day. Any challenge placed at her feet is enthusiastically dealt with, no matter the complexity. She is always up for the challenge. Witnessing her strategic breakdown and development of the plan of action gave me tools to fill my own problem-solving toolbox.
Although Christine is an exceptional leader and Nurse manager, her love for patient care will always be at the center of her heart. She shows compassion to all patients and their families. You will find her right at the bedside at a moment’s notice if she hears any nurse calling for help. The sounds of the letters "RB" or "MTP" perk her ears right up and she's off to the bedside. Do you need to transport a patient emergently to OR, IR, or Cath lab? She will be right there, releasing the breaks and jumping right behind the bed pushing it, sometimes (in my experience, every time) overzealously. Many times, other members of the healthcare team have had to tell her to slow down.
Christine sees the value of all experiences and utilizes any opportunity for teaching, education and growth of all her staff. She leads by example. She holds her MSN, TCRN, CCRN and Christine recently acquired her Nurse Executive Certification. With her encouragement, many of her staff have promoted and sought out various opportunities to promote within the organization, acquiring their nationally recognized CCRN certifications and advanced degrees.
As a mentor, Christine constantly challenges me. She recognizes areas where she can provide constructive criticism while still encouraging me to perform at my best. Christine only wants everyone to perform at their best, and because of her authentic, inspiring nature, she brings out the best in everyone. Without her support, I do not know how I could have made it through my first year in a new readership role. Her genuine, approachable energy radiates, and everyone around her can sense the trust, safety, and unwavering support she provides. I am honored to nominate and Congratulate Christine Mercado for the prestigious DAISY Nurse Leader Award.
***
I'm thrilled to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Christine for being honored as the 2024 DAISY Nurse Leader. Christine truly personifies transformational leadership, demonstrating outstanding skills and unwavering dedication to leading her team toward nursing excellence. Her journey began as an acting nurse manager in PCU-PAR amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Faced with the daunting task of assisting with transforming the PAR into a PCU COVID-19 unit, Christine embraced the challenge with unmatched enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Her leadership journey continued as she assumed the role of Nurse Manager in the Cath Lab, where she improved communication, advocating for resources, and supporting staff development. When presented with the opportunity to lead our 4B MICU in a dual capacity, Christine eagerly accepted, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and adaptable leader.
Christine’s exceptional critical care nursing skills, dedication to compassionate patient care, and leadership are truly inspiring. Your passion for patient well-being shines through in everything you do. Her leadership style is highly valued for promoting staff autonomy and transparency, fostering a culture of mutual trust, respect, and ethical behavior. Your influence has significantly elevated our 4B MICU, making it a shining model of excellence.
Christine’s noteworthy talent lies in building strong connections with her staff, the interdisciplinary team, and patients, offering resolute support and empathy even in the most challenging circumstances. Her consistent commitment to professional integrity shines through in each decision and interaction. Christine is a proactive leader who fearlessly steps in during critical situations, such as cardiac arrest, embodying kindness and integrity in her approach. She actively cultivates a positive and uplifting atmosphere that elevates morale and inspires her team to achieve excellence.
***
There is no one more deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader award than my mentor Christine Mercado, NM Medical ICU/ Cath Lab. She exemplifies outstanding leadership and mentorship here at La General Medical Center. Christine consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership through her transformational approach to managing her staff and the patients under her care.
As a leader, Christine consistently demonstrates a vision of excellence, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. She works to streamline patient care processes to reduce errors and increase efficiency. Christine has an innate ability to inspire and guide her team to work for the common good of the Unit and the whole organization. Christine fosters teamwork by involving her staff in all unit-based projects and incorporates team members' individualized attributes to reach their goals. A testament to this is that this year, her unit 4b Medical ICU received the Golden Beacon award, which she gives all recognition to the staff for their collaborative efforts to achieve this award.
Those who know her know that Christine's brain is wired a bit differently than most, but in a positive/innovative way. Because of this, she constantly is consulted for advice and many individuals of various services seek out her guidance when making important decisions. Often, Christine is praised by her colleagues for her vision and creativity when troubleshooting and finding a resolution to the many challenges that arise from day to day. Any challenge placed at her feet is enthusiastically dealt with, no matter the complexity. She is always up for the challenge. Witnessing her strategic breakdown and development of the plan of action gave me tools to fill my own problem-solving toolbox.
Although Christine is an exceptional leader and Nurse manager, her love for patient care will always be at the center of her heart. She shows compassion to all patients and their families. You will find her right at the bedside at a moment’s notice if she hears any nurse calling for help. The sounds of the letters "RB" or "MTP" perk her ears right up and she's off to the bedside. Do you need to transport a patient emergently to OR, IR, or Cath lab? She will be right there, releasing the breaks and jumping right behind the bed pushing it, sometimes (in my experience, every time) overzealously. Many times, other members of the healthcare team have had to tell her to slow down.
Christine sees the value of all experiences and utilizes any opportunity for teaching, education and growth of all her staff. She leads by example. She holds her MSN, TCRN, CCRN and Christine recently acquired her Nurse Executive Certification. With her encouragement, many of her staff have promoted and sought out various opportunities to promote within the organization, acquiring their nationally recognized CCRN certifications and advanced degrees.
As a mentor, Christine constantly challenges me. She recognizes areas where she can provide constructive criticism while still encouraging me to perform at my best. Christine only wants everyone to perform at their best, and because of her authentic, inspiring nature, she brings out the best in everyone. Without her support, I do not know how I could have made it through my first year in a new readership role. Her genuine, approachable energy radiates, and everyone around her can sense the trust, safety, and unwavering support she provides. I am honored to nominate and Congratulate Christine Mercado for the prestigious DAISY Nurse Leader Award.
***
I'm thrilled to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Christine for being honored as the 2024 DAISY Nurse Leader. Christine truly personifies transformational leadership, demonstrating outstanding skills and unwavering dedication to leading her team toward nursing excellence. Her journey began as an acting nurse manager in PCU-PAR amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Faced with the daunting task of assisting with transforming the PAR into a PCU COVID-19 unit, Christine embraced the challenge with unmatched enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Her leadership journey continued as she assumed the role of Nurse Manager in the Cath Lab, where she improved communication, advocating for resources, and supporting staff development. When presented with the opportunity to lead our 4B MICU in a dual capacity, Christine eagerly accepted, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and adaptable leader.
Christine’s exceptional critical care nursing skills, dedication to compassionate patient care, and leadership are truly inspiring. Your passion for patient well-being shines through in everything you do. Her leadership style is highly valued for promoting staff autonomy and transparency, fostering a culture of mutual trust, respect, and ethical behavior. Your influence has significantly elevated our 4B MICU, making it a shining model of excellence.
Christine’s noteworthy talent lies in building strong connections with her staff, the interdisciplinary team, and patients, offering resolute support and empathy even in the most challenging circumstances. Her consistent commitment to professional integrity shines through in each decision and interaction. Christine is a proactive leader who fearlessly steps in during critical situations, such as cardiac arrest, embodying kindness and integrity in her approach. She actively cultivates a positive and uplifting atmosphere that elevates morale and inspires her team to achieve excellence.