RUHS Nurses Recognized for Exceptional Leadership
Four Riverside University Health System nurses were recognized by the nonprofit DAISY Foundation for their leadership, their interactions with colleagues and their efforts to make the health system run smoothly.
Nurses Annabel Barrera, Sandra “Kerubo” Keener, Uchenna Eke, and Grace Figalan are recipients of the DAISY Nurse Leader Award, which recognizes nurses who help to create a compassionate environment for other nurses and medical professionals to thrive.
The following are excerpts from each nurse’s nomination. The excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.
Annabel Barrera
Annabel Barrera, Case Management - RUHS-MC
Case managers must be strong and soft within seconds of meeting a patient or a patient’s loved one. You must be informative, have critical thinking and be empathetic. Annabel is an example of that balance. She is so caring and will see a task through in a way that may come off strong, but strength is what is needed. Annabel will hold the weight of patient’s worry and fear; hold the weight of insurance denials; hold the weight of surge protocols and patient discharges; and hold the weight of challenging interactions with a patient’s loved ones. Annabel is strong, she doesn’t break, and she is exactly the right person to perform the balanced duties of a case manager.
Sandra “Kerubo” Keener
Sandra “Kerubo” Keener, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - RUHS-MC
Kerubo embodies the true essence of leadership, consistently demonstrating not only her exceptional clinical skills but also her passion for mentorship and growth. Kerubo is a highly skilled nurse with expertise in high-acuity care, including micro preemie and preemie IV insertion. Her proficiency is truly remarkable. Despite her skill, she remains humble, kind, and always eager to learn as well as to teach. She believes that "We're here to grow and learn," and she expressed this after explaining to another nurse leader why she is committed to providing new grads with more opportunities to learn.
Grace Figalan
Grace Figalan, Unit B - Arlington Campus
Working in an acute psychiatric unit and taking care of 28 patients can really be challenging. However, when Grace is around, we feel safe and confident that work will get done. Despite the fact that our patients may present with unpredictable and aggressive behaviors, Grace has the ability to decide quickly and critically. She delegates tasks to her team members fairly, appropriately and effectively. Safety for everyone is her number one priority. She stands by her work principle of "no nurse left behind" which reflects the importance of unity, support, and inclusivity.
Uchenna Eke
Uchenna Eke, Oncology/Infusion Clinc - RUHS-MC
Uchenna tries to solve any barrier which affects patient care immediately. For example, if a patient’s treatment will be delayed when a pharmacy or medication doesn’t get approved, she jumps on that to solve it as quickly as possible. I think that comes from her passion to improve patient care and outcome.