One of the most challenging cases Yvette Tabernilla has ever handled was one involving a patient on ventilator with periods of lucidity. Only a nurse who is kind-hearted, loves her work, proud of her unit and institution, holds her superiors in high regard, with natural compassion for the diseased and afflicted, passion for excellence, unique ability to relate well with diverse peoples of various ages and extraordinary communication skills, could discern and would take time and effort to deal with such patient and her family members, while in the process meticulously determining the specific needs or peculiar health issues of the patient and planning her intervention accordingly. And Yvette is precisely this kind of nurse.

So Yvette, because she is this nurse, did manage to let the patient understand the care given her and did care for her as she has planned. Meanwhile, she was methodically educating the patient and her family, defining for them their possible options. However, by the time the patient was off ventilator and sleeping normally, the family refused further tests that would have improved intervention and greatly benefited the patient.

Not long after, the patient was moved to another floor; but her family came back just to profusely thank Yvette. After work, Yvette dropped by the patient's room curious about the state of memory of her former patient. In a moving moment, the patient did remember Yvette as the nurse who cared for her at 3 East, and she smiled and squeezed Yvette's hand.

Yvette's quality performance at work and high achievement in school are the products of personal vision, discipline and conscientiousness. She recently gained recognition as Beatrice Renfield awardee for excellence in preceptorship. She just completed her master's degree in nursing informatics. She was part of the 3 East Skin Savers Team that won first prize in a competition on Pressure Ulcer care and prevention during a clinical symposium in Orlando, Florida (featured in the Nursing Spectrum magazine).

Multi-talented, Yvette produced, directed, choreographed, script written, sang and acted out (with two colleagues) the roles in a sequel activity to generate support for the unit's pressure ulcer care and prevention all-out effort. Known as the 3-East Video Presentation Project, it was received well and applauded here at Brooklyn. An Official from Petrie was so impressed, Yvette's group was asked to make an encore presentation in Manhattan. The audience was also greatly pleased. Gifted with leadership traits, she heads the Committee on Shared Governance that takes up innovative, cooperative, collaborative approaches to clinical practice, experiences using best practices and allied issues. Indefatigable, she regularly initiates or involves herself in various evidence-based studies at 3 East..