Dora is an Educator in Adult Patient Care Services (APCS) at UTMB. She has been at UTMB for 14 years. During her tenure here, she has worked in several roles, including floor nurse, Research Nurse Research Supervisor, Adjunct Clinical Instructor with SON, Assistant Professor and currently Clinical Educator II.
There are many examples that could be shared to illustrate Dora's outstanding leadership skills over the past several years in her multiple leadership roles. This nomination will use a few examples over the last few years. She played a huge role during Hurricane Harvey. She worked closely with the Director and Nurse Managers to coordinate staffing and sleep arrangements for all the APCS MedSurg units. She did whatever needed to be done to ensure our staff and our patients were well cared for. This included even washing staff's clothes since we were here for 6 days and nights. After staffing was done, lodging for staff arranged, and clothes were folded, she then would go around checking on staff and offering chocolate and hugs. She is a truly genuine and caring person who always puts others needs before her own.
As the Educator in APCS, she is always helping new staff as well as current staff. People come to her because she has an empathetic ear and helps them problem solve obstacles and escalates as needed. She promotes continued education and she herself is currently working on her Ph.D. Her work ethic is impeccable and admirable. She comes in at 4 am to do rounds on the night staff, does education rounds, checks up on nurse residents and always tries to improve morale.
She is an integral part of the Nightshift Council and member of many other committees like the Retention, Shared Leadership Committee, MedSurg Shared Leadership Committee, Leadership Committee, Safety, and Security Management SubCommittee, Professional Development Council and Nurse Week Committee. She also works in the community doing Sexual health education for 5th Graders in Galveston County and works with 7th Graders at Odyssey Academy doing Family Life and Sexual Health. She is an advocate and mentor for evidence-based practice for staff. She provides professional development activities to staff such as Charge Nurse and Bedside shift report classes. She also does the Culture of Mobility class for staff that improves our patients Best Care as well teaches the staff about good body mechanics that prevents workplace injuries.
Dora does not work Monday to Friday 9-5, she comes in all different hours and days to meet the needs of staff and to get the projects done. She also works as an adjunct clinical faculty for the School of Nursing on the weekends. Currently, she is helping with APCS management to interview and help get Clear Lake Campus open in February 2019. There isn't anything that Dora isn't involved in, or at least that's what it seems like to me.
Dora is truly an asset to this institution because of who she is and all that she does. She is a "people person" and always has a smile and a hug for everyone. No job is too big or too hard for her.....those are her favorite kind of jobs. I could go on writing endless examples of how she is a leader here at UTMB, just ask anyone who knows her. I believe Dora is an outstanding leader in nursing here at UTMB and a true DAISY Nurse. Thank you whoever hired this young lady who came here as a new grad and has shown us all how much one can really make a difference.