I have been a Respiratory Therapist at Winchester Medical Center for less than a year. Valeria has always been pleasant to me and her patients. Many times I have asked how her day was, and she says busy, but she’s finishing a few things before lunch. It’s usually 2:00pm-3:00pm because she always puts her patients first.

We were sending a patient with a stoma to CT scan and Valeria called for me to adjust the O2 delivery device so the patient could easily be transported. I used a venturi set-up and Valeria had me go over it with her, in case something unforeseen happened, so she would know how to trouble shoot it. Many RNs just let Respiratory Therapy “do their thing”, but Valeria took the extra time to make sure she understood what her patient was on.

She always has a smile and a thank you when I help her, and she always does what it takes to make her patients happy, if it’s possible to be done. I would definitely have Valeria care for my family member. Valeria is a perfect example of a great nurse collaborating as part of an inter-disciplinary team. As another testament to what another discipline thinks of Valeria, when I asked if anyone else thought she would be deserving of this nomination, all six Therapists said she was a worthy candidate.