Hellen Palencia, RN – Emergency Department
Please join the Center for Nursing Excellence in congratulating Hellen Palencia, RN for being selected as the DAISY Award recipient for the month of December!
Hellen works in the Emergency Department and was nominated by a co-worker. The nomination below reflects how Hellen impacted their life in a very special way.
“When I began working in the Emergency Department (ED) a year ago as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist my role was brand new and being implemented into the ED for the first time in the State of Arkansas. Any new position brings a learning curve for both the position and the system in which it’s being implemented. Hellen was the first RN who supported my role and provided education to her coworkers about the resources I had to offer to patients who were struggling with substance use disorder. She not only supported and advocated for the role but she also proactively looped me in to the process when she was assigned to a patient who would possibly benefit from my services. There have been several times where she connected me with a patient by going the extra mile to learn about the patient and provide the best care possible. In all of these scenarios I was able to continue working with the patient and link them directly to residential substance use treatment once they were discharged from the ED or hospital. These patients would have simply fallen through the cracks if Hellen had not provided them with my contact information and resources.. Hellen has been instrumental in the implementation of peer support in the emergency department and responsible for providing life changing and lifesaving resources to numerous patients that may have otherwise been overlooked. This has made an incredible impact on me professionally as a new role in the ED and I have witnessed the impact it has made on many patients. Hellen’s excellent nursing care, compassion, and willingness to go the extra mile for those struggling with addiction is why I nominate her for the Daisy Award.”
Great job, Hellen Palencia!
To learn more about The DAISY Award or to nominate a deserving licensed nurse, please visit: http//nurses.uams.edu.