Vanesa is consistently working on promoting and expanding the Glycemic Management Program. As the Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Vanesa has expanded her knowledge and critical thinking skills by joining the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES); she has received her certification as a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES). As a CDCES, she educates and supports patients and their family members affected by diabetes; she helps them understand and manage the condition, achieve behavioral and treatment goals, and optimize health outcomes. She treats all of her patients with respect and dignity, before entering the room she reviews the patient's history and background to ensure she is ready to answer any questions they may have. She listens to what they understand about the diagnosis and how they have been managing it at home prior to being hospitalized. She exemplifies compassion by taking the time to meet with patients and their family members when they are ready.

I can provide an example of a patient who was extremely overwhelmed with the diagnosis, Vanesa took the time to meet with the patient and come back to discuss follow up questions the next day. When the family wanted to meet and ask additional questions she took the time to talk to them and answer all of their questions in the patient's room and again when they called her over the phone because they had forgotten a few things.

Vanesa's integrity is shown in her work, when she is not following up on consults, she is working on policies to promote the latest evidence-based practice. She continues to stay up to date with the latest practice to ensure patients are receiving the best education and information. In regards to teamwork, Vanesa works closely with nurses, pharmacists, and providers involved in the patient's care to ensure the patient’s needs meet their expectations and that they receive all of the resources they need once discharged from the hospital.

She advocates for the patient's needs upon discharge, by ensuring the patient has all of the supplies they need to care for their blood sugars at home, including having all of the supplies to check their sugars, the medication, any supplies they may need to give themselves insulin if necessary, and follow-up appointments. Ultimately, I believe Vanesa is a great example of an Extraordinary Nurse.