Nursing Annual Report 2025 | Sailing Towards Magnet Mastery

Excellence in Nursing Structural Empowerment Winner: Jaq Romero, RN, Case Manager II, Care Coordination

Jaq exemplifies the essence of structural empowerment through her multifaceted role as a case management charge nurse. More than just a case manager, she is a mentor, nurse leader, collaborator, and unwavering advocate for excellence. Her deep understanding of diverse practice areas allows her to guide and support her team across the entire enterprise.

Whether navigating complex discharge plans or stepping in to resolve last-minute challenges, Jaq is consistently present and engaged. She empowers her colleagues by fostering a supportive, solution-focused environment, ensuring patients receive seamless, high-quality care. Her leadership not only strengthens her team but also elevates the standard of practice organization-wide.

Recognition: DAISY Award^®

Our nominations for the DAISY Award® continue to increase. We had over 800 nominations in 2024 with 11 winners. The DAISY Award has given our nurses the reminder that the extraordinary care and respect they give to their patients and families each day, is extremely impactful and meaningful.

January  Barbara Callens, Critical Care	February  Sharon Sneddon, Intensive Care	March  Regina Romero, 3B Telemetry	April  Molly McCarthy, Cardiac Pulmonary Wellness Center	May  Lisa Wagner, Labor & Delivery	June  Andrea Fernandez, 4B Medical Oncology
July  Julie McFarland, Post Anesthesia Care Unit	August  Melissa Wong Wong, Labor & Delivery	September  Everlyn Nyakoe, Acute Rehab Unit	October  Mimi Ly-Yang, Patient Care Resources	November  Afuthal Ssemakula, Mental Health & Addiction Services

Certifications and Degrees for 2024

Professional Development Council (PDC)

The Professional Development Council (PDC) is a shared governance council at El Camino Health that values, supports, and promotes professional development opportunities for all nursing staff. Our council is comprised of the Clinical Education department, including unit and general clinical nurse educators as well as clinical nurses who have achieved at least one professional nursing certification. The PDC advocates for innovative professional development methodologies, prioritizes the education and training needs of staff through the triennial Needs Assessment, promotes and supports achievement of specialty certifications, and supports the organization’s goals through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Program and the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) Scope and Standards.

Professional Development Council

Based on the results of the triennial Needs Assessment, our council offers certification review classes annually and partners with other organizations in delivering these. In the past year, the PDC has offered over five review classes in various specialties, in both ambulatory and non-ambulatory settings, including the Emergency Department, Oncology, Maternal Child Health, Progressive Care, and Orthopedic Care. Other smaller departments have started book and journal clubs in pursuit of their specialty certification, with the PDC’s support. Annually, we celebrate all of our certified nurses at Certified Nurses Day, a PDC-hosted event with our chief nursing officer, where we recognize the dedication of nurses who choose to certify in their specialty.

We hosted the inaugural Evidence Based Practice Showcase in 2024, in partnership with the Nursing Research Council to disseminate research and the latest in evidence-based work at our hospital. Our council developed a robust process for abstract applications from a multitude of departments and chose our presenters to speak. We were honored to showcase various podiums, rapid-fire, and poster presentations presented by nurses and interprofessional staff, where all attendees were able to learn from each other and bring this information back to their departments in the spirit of evidence-based work. This year, we will be hosting a Career Development Fair for the whole hospital, bringing local and online colleges and universities to talk about their various educational programs for all El Camino Health staff looking to advance in their career. We are also excited to host a Patient Safety and Legal Workshop focused on communication and documentation practices, in partnership with our Quality and Risk teams as well as our legal department.

Our council continues to serve the nursing staff and beyond, in pursuit of offering a variety of options for their professional development.