I am nominating Manuela Ignacio for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award as I believe she is most deserving of this momentous acknowledgement. I have had the pleasure to work with Manuela for the last 3 years, and during that time, I have known her to be one of the most determined, focused, and driven nurses. Manuela started her career in 2001 at South Nassau, but in fact, her nursing career started long before that, in the 80’s. I am always in awe at how Manuela speaks of her days in her early nursing career fighting an unknown disease, which they later found out was AIDS. She really gives good context to the phrase “back in the old days,” and no matter how the profession of nursing has changed over the years, Manuela takes each shift with grace and ease. While I was not at MSSN during MSSN’s battle with COVID, I am often amazed at how she speaks of those times alongside her colleagues at South Nassau. Her role modeling, advocating for her patients, and preceptorship during those tough times still stand out and resonate today. When faced with a tough situation, Manuela is quick to respond and does not cower away. She handles hostile situations with grace and ease and does not shy away. Instead, she faces them head-on. This type of confidence only comes from nurses with great skill and competence.

Upon my arrival at MSSN, I asked Manuela if we could get our LOS time down in PACU. She did not complain; instead, she and her team got to work. In the beginning, our PACU LOS times were hovering at around 110-120 minutes. After 2 years of hard-work, consistent rounding, and education, the time is now down to 70-80 minutes. Manuela is extremely proud of her team, her work, and her unit. She takes care of her staff and is empathetic to their needs. What’s amazing is while Manuela has held a leadership role for most of her time at MSSN, she is still able to take on critically ill patients. She not only brings out the best in her employees but also expects the best version of herself. Manuela has always been a great resource for her staff. Whether it be how to handle a critical patient or who to call for an EVS repair, Manuela is usually one of my first phone calls as she has fostered and nurtured many relationships at MSSN. She is highly respected by her peers and makes everyone around her a stronger leader and a better nurse. Manuela is also a wonderful, loving wife and mother to her two children. It is a privilege to work with her as she always puts patients first, is a role model in multi-disciplinary teamwork, and is truly deserving of the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. 

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Manuela Ignacio RN began her career in the Philippines, working in acute care and teaching the student nurses in the medical surgical units. In 1984 at the age of 27, she relocated to the United States, continuing her nursing career at NY Health and Hospital in Elmhurst. She was quickly assigned as an assistant nurse manager of a medical-surgical unit. Her dedication to her profession promoted her to the critical care unit working as an assistant nurse manager. Manuela advanced her critical care experience as an Open-Heart nurse at Cornell University. In 2001, Manuela entered South Nassau Communities Hospital, contributing her wealth of knowledge to the care of the patients on the south shore of Long Island. She dedicated 20 plus years to MSSN in both Nurse manager and supervisory role. For the past 10 years, Manuela created a team to care for the patient in the perianesthesia setting. As Nurse Manager of the PACU at MSSN, she has effectively provided education for her staff. Her positive support to her staff is evident each day. Her most recent accomplishment is the length of stay in the PACU as patients are transferred to the ASU; an extraordinary length of stay is less than 66 minutes!! Manuela's exemplary dedication to her profession as a registered nurse generated an atmosphere of health and wellness.