New Mexico Nursing Excellence Award: Education
1. This nurse shares knowledge and inspires students to pursue critical thinking, technical, relationship, and leadership skills needed to practice effectively as nurses. She makes a point of inspiring her students to think critically by asking questions such as "Have you thought about it this way?" She gives them the opportunity to find role models and mentors by taking them to the New Mexico Nursing Association kick-off for Nurses' Week, allowing them to meet and get to know nursing leaders. She also attends workshops on building strong relationships with students and faculty. She ensures her accessibility to students by setting office hours by appointment so that she can meet with them at their convenience, not her own, and she invites them to talk through their worries and concerns. As a full-time nurse going to school, she recognizes the stresses involved and does all she can to alleviate her students' stress. Her efforts are so effective that students in the upper levels and those that have already graduated seek her out for her counsel. She encourages her nursing students to be proud of the uniform they wear and of the care they give to their patients. This nurse believes in the value of education and professional development, so she sets the bar high for her students but then provides them with the tools needed to be successful. Her contagious enthusiasm inspires her colleagues to pursue professional goals, and she works tirelessly to provide guidance and encouragement to the entire facility where she works. She is fully committed to her students' growth, giving selflessly of her time and knowledge to further each student's development and making time for everyone that needs her help. She is a teacher in every setting, both in the classroom and in clinical practice, and her work reflects the philosophy that the human being is a whole person. Her leadership in nursin...