As a Miami VA Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM)-RN and co-worker of Helen E. Rodriguez, DNP, APRN, I have consistently witnessed Helen go above and beyond her duties to improve the delivery of care that she both diligently and selflessly provides to MHICM program veterans. Her care additionally cascades onto other MHICM team members as she is proactive, empathetic, caring, and best attempts to predict the needs of the team. Our team is multidisciplinary in nature, therefore, assimilating the practice of various other disciplines is not an easy endeavor. Helen ingeniously implements various other disciplines within her MHICM scope of practice and collaborates with not only the MHICM team but with other VA departments to best serve our severely mentally ill veteran patients. She is a strong advocate to promote the rights, health, safety, and open access to attentive and comprehensive medical and mental health services that our veterans so deserve. I routinely witness Helen exude compassion to her fellow VA cohort of colleagues that contributes to sustaining VA employee ICARE core values that transcend into preserving and elevating veteran trust and dignity.

Helen also strives to seek methods to improve her delivery of veteran care by researching current developments in psychiatric-mental health practice, participation in evidence-based virtual meetings/live conferences, and her self-assigning TMS education courses to enrich and empower her current knowledge base. Her natural and self-driven motivation to excel in a bright and successful career path is manifested in the ongoing faith, respect, and appreciation that her MHICM veteran patients bestow on her. Helen exemplifies the true meaning of a nurse professional within the VA and the overall nursing community. Her take-charge demeanor has led her to successfully transition from the family practice DNP role into the psychiatry-mental health DNP role.

In addition to her being an educator to veterans and fellow staff, she has co-authored several published journal articles and desires to acquire future academic credentials to include an independent board certification in psychiatry to add to her repertoire of dynamic clinical practice and research.

Helen promotes MHICM veteran patient community activity involvement by assisting to take veterans to Miami area fishing, horseback riding, sailing, and sporting events. She very recently stepped up to volunteer as a brave MIA VA COVID-19 frontline emergency department licensed independent practitioner screener to help provide a vital and caring service, during an unprecedented time within the medical society.

In closing, and as a witness to Helen’s strong work ethic that incorporates her inherent ability to craftily integrate a wealth of education into outstanding veteran patient care and subsequent favorable outcomes, I ask that she be honored as a DAISY Nurse, in recognition of her tireless effort and commitment to the profession of nursing.