Lupe Almaguer is an extraordinary, compassionate leader that makes a meaningful difference in the Intensive Care Unit. Lupe is skilled at what she does, leads by example, and upholds the unit by motivating us to do and be better nurses. She has eleven years of ICU experience and demonstrates great knowledge of Critical Care and the care of the acutely ill. She is also a Family Nurse Practitioner. Prior to becoming our manager, Lupe was an ICU Supervisor who led with grace and kindness. I started on the unit as a Versant Resident, and because of her careful direction and mentorship, I felt belongingness from the very start. She role modeled what it meant to be a leader, showed me the ropes of how to be a great charge nurse, fair, and understanding.
I remember when she first started as our manager; the ICU was going through a very hard time with staffing, changes in leadership, and other personal problems that we were having. To be honest, I was very demoralized as a staff and had even applied to other facilities in Orlando and New York. Lupe was the leader who pushed me to stay amidst hard times and reengaged me to keep striving to do my best. She created an environment that was conducive to my growth, fueled by trust and compassion. She motivated me to be the best nurse I could be and even took steps to make sure I was supported in my professional development. She had frequent follow-up meetings with me, came early on the nights I worked to talk to me and even took the time to pray for my personal situation. She has cried when I was sad and rejoiced in all my victories. She is not only my leader, but a confidant; not just my manager, but my family.
This is not atypical behavior for Lupe, even from before when she was our PCS. She has the ability to empathize, radiating understanding, and love from her words and actions. She also has the ability to be just and objective, making sure that we as a unit are accountable for the work that we put in our patients. She also shares this responsibility and accountability as our leader. In our staff meetings, she constantly reminds us of what it means to be a unit of Zero Harm and exudes excitement and enthusiasm when we talk about patient outcomes and personal nurse victories. I remember when we had a CLABSI, she took it to heart and took responsibility of the outcome. She recently had a resource meeting and asked that we, as leaders, take accountability and ownership of our outcomes, motivating us to stay on top of patient care. She even takes the time to share evidence-based leadership research and projects from Magnet to her leaders.
She is an advocate for the bedside nurse, as I have seen her in our meetings together; making sure that the bedside is always supported. Even away from the bedside, I see her make sure that the staff are supported personally - she even came one night of a busy shift, just to make sure we were all fed. Lupe also supports the community, as she is involved in donations to the homeless outreach and multiple Baptist donation efforts. She acts from the heart, and I know that her vision is to help as many people as she can.
Lupe is an inspiring leader and pushes people to be better versions of themselves. I am a product of her leadership, and I hope this can be just a simple thank you for all that she has done for me. She is a true DAISY Nurse Leader, as she makes a difference in my life, personally, every single day.