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UC Irvine Medical Center honors nine for nursing excellence

May 12, 2011

Each year during National Nurses Week, UC Irvine Medical Center honors nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care, education and guidance, mentorship, and teamwork.

“The nursing mission here is to provide compassionate, patient-centered care,” said Karen Grimley, RN, MBA, chief nursing officer at UC Irvine. “Our patients are feeling that commitment.”

She noted that the approximately 1,200 nurses there are caring for patients, as opposed to simply taking care of them.

“You can train anyone to be a nurse and provide a service,” Grimley said. “But it takes a special group of nurses to embrace the total care and compassion that elevates the patient experience.”

The following were honored Wednesday at the Nursing Exemplar Awards Ceremony, one of a series of events marking National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week at UC Irvine.

Nursing Excellence

  • Patricia Pinedo, Neuroscience Step-Down Unit
  • Winnie Ramos, primary care pediatrics at Gottschalk Medical Plaza
  • Teri Book, For OC Kids Neurodevelopmental Center
  • Jennifer Wang, Oncology Infusion Center
  • Carolyn Rothfuss, Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Nursing Preceptor (guidance for new nurses)

  • Marla Gain, Emergency Department

Nursing Mentor

  • Gail Devaney, director, Women’s & Children’s Services

Nursing Rookie of the Year

  • Connie Chung, University Hospital Tower fourth and fifth floors

Friend of Nursing

  • Hiep Nguyen, staff pharmacist

National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, which is National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.

About UC Irvine Medical Center: Orange County’s only university hospital, UC Irvine Medical Center offers acute- and general-care services at its new, 482,000-square-foot UC Irvine Douglas Hospital and is home to the county’s only Level I trauma center, American College of Surgeons-verified regional burn center and National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. U.S. News & World Report has included UC Irvine for 10 consecutive years on its list of America’s Best Hospitals, giving special recognition to its urology, gynecology, and ear, nose and throat programs.