Cynthia Guevara
May 2021
Cynthia
Guevara
,
MSN, RN-BC
In-Patient Flow, CDIE, UM, CM
South Texas Veteran's Health Care System
while under Ms. Guevara's leadership, 16,266 vaccines were administered with zero waste.
Ms. Guevara’s performance in support of the COVID-19 pandemic has been absolutely outstanding, she has demonstrated a continuing high degree of professional excellence. Ms. Guevara's clinical competence and leadership ability generate immediate confidence amongst nursing leadership and colleagues alike. Her total dedication to duty, and willingness to assist in any capacity during COVID -19 have made her a valuable asset to the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS). She flawlessly planned, coordinated, and implemented diverse requirements during an unprecedented pandemic and rigorous times.
Ms. Guevara is attributed with developing a screening tool and a Standard Operating Procedure to ensure standardization of screening and disposition of staff, high-risk Veterans, and visitors at several entry points to the facility. This also ensured appropriate throughput and minimized bottlenecks and promoted appropriate and timely handling of identified COVID-19 positive patients under investigation individuals.
Despite the constant change in guidance for managing COVID-19 by the Center for Disease Control, she is credited for ensuring screeners were following appropriate processes. She managed approximately 40 clinical staff and worked tirelessly to develop schedules ensuring adequate coverage and leveraging the workload based on volume. In addition, Ms. Guevara developed and instituted Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) usage processes to store and maintain PPE with allocated par levels in designated carts. These processes endorsed adequate capture of PPE usage and allotted her team to always have the necessary supplies needed to carry out the task at hand. As a result of her efforts, the clinical screening station triaged 993 vehicles and appropriately referred them to COVID Clinic, ED Triage, or home. Additionally, there were no reported exposures or positive staff cases during this time.
With the growth of COVID 19 positive cases at STVHCS and the need to expand our inpatient services, Ms. Guevara stepped up to the challenge and volunteered to serve as the Acting Nurse Manager for a new Medical/Surgical unit. She without question is a skillful manager and leader with the proven ability to attain a high standard of performance in any endeavor. Ms. Guevara collaborated with Engineering, Pharmacy, Logistics, Nutrition and Food Service, Environmental Management Service (EMS), Medical Administration Service, and Nursing Service to safely and efficiently execute the opening of an additional 28 beds in support of the COVID-19 Surge plan.
Ms. Guevara provided a unified purpose and a sense of direction to approximately 15-20 staff and managed the day-to-day operations. Ms. Guevara ensured appropriate Nursing Hours Per Patient Day levels safeguarding the delivery of nursing care to COVID-19 Veterans. The addition of this unit enabled STVHCS to care for the high surge of COVID-19 patients over a two-month period.
Lastly, due to her expertise and operational proficiency, Ms. Guevara was called upon to serve as Acting Nurse Manager for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Audie L. Murphy and Balcones Heights Outpatient Clinic. In collaboration with Primary Care, Nursing leadership she worked with Engineering, Pharmacy, Logistics, Nutrition and Food Service, Environmental Management Service, and Medical Administration Service to stand up the vaccination clinic. She was responsible for ensuring appropriate staffing to support the clinic operations and while under her leadership, 16,266 vaccines were administered with zero waste.
Ms. Guevara is a true professional in every sense of the word and exemplifies the role of the professional Nurse. Undoubtedly, she is a selfless, dedicated, compassionate, and hardworking Nurse Leader. Her tenacity, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, and willingness to accept any responsibility regardless of scope distinctively sets her aside. Ms. Guevara is well respected by leaders and her peers and instills in each of her team members the desire to excel themselves. Ms. Guevara is an inspiration to all who serve with her.
Ms. Guevara is attributed with developing a screening tool and a Standard Operating Procedure to ensure standardization of screening and disposition of staff, high-risk Veterans, and visitors at several entry points to the facility. This also ensured appropriate throughput and minimized bottlenecks and promoted appropriate and timely handling of identified COVID-19 positive patients under investigation individuals.
Despite the constant change in guidance for managing COVID-19 by the Center for Disease Control, she is credited for ensuring screeners were following appropriate processes. She managed approximately 40 clinical staff and worked tirelessly to develop schedules ensuring adequate coverage and leveraging the workload based on volume. In addition, Ms. Guevara developed and instituted Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) usage processes to store and maintain PPE with allocated par levels in designated carts. These processes endorsed adequate capture of PPE usage and allotted her team to always have the necessary supplies needed to carry out the task at hand. As a result of her efforts, the clinical screening station triaged 993 vehicles and appropriately referred them to COVID Clinic, ED Triage, or home. Additionally, there were no reported exposures or positive staff cases during this time.
With the growth of COVID 19 positive cases at STVHCS and the need to expand our inpatient services, Ms. Guevara stepped up to the challenge and volunteered to serve as the Acting Nurse Manager for a new Medical/Surgical unit. She without question is a skillful manager and leader with the proven ability to attain a high standard of performance in any endeavor. Ms. Guevara collaborated with Engineering, Pharmacy, Logistics, Nutrition and Food Service, Environmental Management Service (EMS), Medical Administration Service, and Nursing Service to safely and efficiently execute the opening of an additional 28 beds in support of the COVID-19 Surge plan.
Ms. Guevara provided a unified purpose and a sense of direction to approximately 15-20 staff and managed the day-to-day operations. Ms. Guevara ensured appropriate Nursing Hours Per Patient Day levels safeguarding the delivery of nursing care to COVID-19 Veterans. The addition of this unit enabled STVHCS to care for the high surge of COVID-19 patients over a two-month period.
Lastly, due to her expertise and operational proficiency, Ms. Guevara was called upon to serve as Acting Nurse Manager for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Audie L. Murphy and Balcones Heights Outpatient Clinic. In collaboration with Primary Care, Nursing leadership she worked with Engineering, Pharmacy, Logistics, Nutrition and Food Service, Environmental Management Service, and Medical Administration Service to stand up the vaccination clinic. She was responsible for ensuring appropriate staffing to support the clinic operations and while under her leadership, 16,266 vaccines were administered with zero waste.
Ms. Guevara is a true professional in every sense of the word and exemplifies the role of the professional Nurse. Undoubtedly, she is a selfless, dedicated, compassionate, and hardworking Nurse Leader. Her tenacity, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, and willingness to accept any responsibility regardless of scope distinctively sets her aside. Ms. Guevara is well respected by leaders and her peers and instills in each of her team members the desire to excel themselves. Ms. Guevara is an inspiration to all who serve with her.