Liwayway Torres
December 2021
Liwayway
Torres
,
RN
5 South SDU
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center
Fontana
,
CA
United States
The patients and family adore her. She knows the right words to say to a mourning family, a difficult patient, an overwhelmed staff, or a rude technician. Whatever it may be, Liway handles it well.
Liwayway Torres (Liway), Registered Nurse, is being recognized with the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award for the devotion of her life’s work to the compassionate care of others. She has actively mentored others, advocated for patients, served as a role model, and promoted a positive image of nursing throughout the span of her career. Liway has served as a beacon of inspiration to those at all stages of their career and in the various and important roles within nursing.
Liway was employed at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center from 08/08/1998 to her retirement on 8/26/2020. She was selected for this award by her peers, the Critical Care Leadership Team, and the Nursing Excellence Reward and Recognition and Patient Care Experience Committee.
Liway’s nomination states: “I have so much to say regarding why I feel Liway is the ultimate role model to represent being a DAISY Nurse. Let me start by giving just facts on what she does, some are seen as obvious, but some are actually not noticed by most. I’ve been working with Liway for 15 years now and she has always been our charge nurse in SDU. As long as I could remember, she brings the entire staff breakfast on the weekends we work. This comes out from her own pocket and we are not just talking about donuts. She brings hard-boiled eggs, bagels, a variety of cream cheese, pastries, etc. which feed everyone and even have leftovers for the next morning. There are times she gets VTO and she still comes and drops off the breakfast. There were a few times she dropped off the food at my house by 6 AM so I could bring it to work.
Liway starts working at 6:30 as a charge nurse. When the staff is leaving at 7:30 PM, I see Liway a lot of times still working in her little corner room. She had already clocked out at 7 PM but wanted to make sure our unit looks nice and organized. She is either working on projects, making signs, or doing paperwork. She’s the first one at work and the last one to leave. She’s also usually the last nurse to eat lunch. I recall a day when she was nonstop taking patients to procedures and having to take care of a patient in another unit until a bed opened up. She comes into the break room at 3 PM with her hair all over the place and still a smile on her face.
Liway is also one of the smartest nurses I know, yet the most humble. She is very knowledgeable and intuitive. The staff always rely on her to resolve a problem. Our unit has such diversity with strong personalities but yet Liway has the wisdom to know how to handle each and every one of us in a caring but also authoritative fashion. Everyone who knows Liway loves her and has nothing bad to say about her. She is always pleasant, patient, generous, and kind.
Just recently we had a code blue and almost lost a young patient that was dear to us. The nurse that had the patient screamed out for Liway to help before even pressing the code blue button. Why do you think that is? While discussing it with another nurse about it, we came to a conclusion. Liway is the mother of our unit and if she’s there, it gives us the security that everything will be okay. We know she cares about us and will be there when we need her. We all cried together with the family that day. Liway stayed with the family as long as she could. She is hands-on and involved where it really matters. The patients and family adore her. She knows the right words to say to a mourning family, a difficult patient, an overwhelmed staff, or a rude technician. Whatever it may be, Liway handles it well. Other charge nurses say Liway spoils her nurses. I agree she does but we love her and appreciate her. I think she deserves the acknowledgment of how awesome she is. Her dedication to Kaiser, the unit, and her peers surpasses anyone I’ve ever encountered in my 21 years of nursing.
Liway is a remarkable nurse, and she exemplifies the VALUES of Kaiser Permanente Nursing. She provides EXCELLENT care, with INTEGRITY and COMPASSION; she is a TEAM player, extremely PROFESSIONAL, and keeps the PATIENT AND FAMILY IN THE CENTER of everything that she does. Liway truly is an Extraordinary Nurse.
Liway was employed at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center from 08/08/1998 to her retirement on 8/26/2020. She was selected for this award by her peers, the Critical Care Leadership Team, and the Nursing Excellence Reward and Recognition and Patient Care Experience Committee.
Liway’s nomination states: “I have so much to say regarding why I feel Liway is the ultimate role model to represent being a DAISY Nurse. Let me start by giving just facts on what she does, some are seen as obvious, but some are actually not noticed by most. I’ve been working with Liway for 15 years now and she has always been our charge nurse in SDU. As long as I could remember, she brings the entire staff breakfast on the weekends we work. This comes out from her own pocket and we are not just talking about donuts. She brings hard-boiled eggs, bagels, a variety of cream cheese, pastries, etc. which feed everyone and even have leftovers for the next morning. There are times she gets VTO and she still comes and drops off the breakfast. There were a few times she dropped off the food at my house by 6 AM so I could bring it to work.
Liway starts working at 6:30 as a charge nurse. When the staff is leaving at 7:30 PM, I see Liway a lot of times still working in her little corner room. She had already clocked out at 7 PM but wanted to make sure our unit looks nice and organized. She is either working on projects, making signs, or doing paperwork. She’s the first one at work and the last one to leave. She’s also usually the last nurse to eat lunch. I recall a day when she was nonstop taking patients to procedures and having to take care of a patient in another unit until a bed opened up. She comes into the break room at 3 PM with her hair all over the place and still a smile on her face.
Liway is also one of the smartest nurses I know, yet the most humble. She is very knowledgeable and intuitive. The staff always rely on her to resolve a problem. Our unit has such diversity with strong personalities but yet Liway has the wisdom to know how to handle each and every one of us in a caring but also authoritative fashion. Everyone who knows Liway loves her and has nothing bad to say about her. She is always pleasant, patient, generous, and kind.
Just recently we had a code blue and almost lost a young patient that was dear to us. The nurse that had the patient screamed out for Liway to help before even pressing the code blue button. Why do you think that is? While discussing it with another nurse about it, we came to a conclusion. Liway is the mother of our unit and if she’s there, it gives us the security that everything will be okay. We know she cares about us and will be there when we need her. We all cried together with the family that day. Liway stayed with the family as long as she could. She is hands-on and involved where it really matters. The patients and family adore her. She knows the right words to say to a mourning family, a difficult patient, an overwhelmed staff, or a rude technician. Whatever it may be, Liway handles it well. Other charge nurses say Liway spoils her nurses. I agree she does but we love her and appreciate her. I think she deserves the acknowledgment of how awesome she is. Her dedication to Kaiser, the unit, and her peers surpasses anyone I’ve ever encountered in my 21 years of nursing.
Liway is a remarkable nurse, and she exemplifies the VALUES of Kaiser Permanente Nursing. She provides EXCELLENT care, with INTEGRITY and COMPASSION; she is a TEAM player, extremely PROFESSIONAL, and keeps the PATIENT AND FAMILY IN THE CENTER of everything that she does. Liway truly is an Extraordinary Nurse.