Claire Reyes, RN personifies the many qualities of a great healthcare provider, specifically, her compassion in performing the challenging tasks of patient care. She provides each patient with utmost care and treats them according to their individual needs, bearing in mind that every patient is unique and may have special needs requiring special attention. In the course of her job in the GI clinic, staff nurses and physicians have witnessed Claire's exceptional qualities.

A family member (wife of the patient) asked Claire if she, the wife, would be permitted to be by her husband's side during his procedure. The patient's wife verbalized that her presence would keep her husband more relaxed and comfortable. Claire was empathetic and understood this request so she took it upon herself to ask the attending physician if this would be allowed. After a thorough evaluation of the case, the Doctor consented allowing the wife to stay with husband during his procedure. Since then, the patient's wife has been actively involved in the care and treatment of her husband.

This has been recognized as a success story working with families and the cultural needs of veterans by a nurse who truly cares and provides the best care for her patient. The GI Clinic nurses have a better appreciation for physicians/healthcare providers, and the positive patient outcome as witnessed by Claire's compassionate care.

Claire also excels as an educator and nurse advocate as well. She perseveres by ensuring her patients understand the procedures and treatment regimens. During times when the GI clinic was short staffed, she readily consented to provide coverage on short notice and was efficient in providing pertinent patient information for their care. She has strong skills in pre-colonoscopy prep education, especially when she believes there may be learning needs or barriers that need to be clarified. She advocates for sedation on-demand or no sedation protocols, bearing in mind high-risks patients who do not meet criteria for sedation. She will provide them with informed choices to continue and manage their care safety and appropriately. Claire values the overall Mission and Vision of VA and empowers patients to provide self-care.

As part of management, Claire is a team player and would volunteer on tasks that improve the service. Recently, she volunteered and extended support to the Nurse Manager in triaging patient consults which has become a bottleneck in the GI due to its large backlog of inpatient access and care. Through her assistance and guidance, Ms. Reyes easily mastered the "Art of Triaging Patients." Her assessment and decision-making skills provided improvement of access and expediting patient care. Data collected has shown a significant decrease of backlog cases, 1,200 down to 100 patients within the last six months.

Further, as a co-worker, she has a natural flair collaborating with VA employees inside and outside GI Service. In the absence of the Nurse Manager, she takes on the responsibilities with ease and a positive attitude. Ms. Reyes is well liked throughout the VA system and has a great rapport with the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Should our patients need additional services outside GI clinic, she expedites their needs through her positive collaboration with other services. One example: a veteran needed Anesthesia coverage and it was quickly arranged by Claire and facilitated with the OR department. This prevented a delay in patient care services and provided a positive patient outcome.

Claire Reyes exemplifies compassionate patient care, is a role model within the department, and demonstrates a positive attitude and professionalism within the workplace.