By Cheeko Ruiz (Philstar .com)

A Filipino-American has been named one of the 10 Best Nurse Leaders of the United States, an honor that Los Angeles-based senior nurse Lily Maniquiz Lara finds unparalleled.

Lara, nurse manager of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System's Nursing Home Care Unit 213-2, won the 2006 ADVANCE for Nurses Journal's Best Nurse Leader award. Vital to Lara's winning was the successful implementation of a program that she created for the reduction of patient fall incidents. This program has been adopted as model for other fall prevention programs.

"I was challenged by my senior leadership team to address the increasing patient fall incidents in our unit. What I did was, together with my multi-disciplinary staff, implement specific changes that became a four-pronged approach to reduce patient falls," Lara shared in an e-mail to The STAR.

The approach included hourly safety checks, assessment, communication with and assistance to patients.

Lara's program was initially met with resistance by nursing assistants who felt the extra duties would stress an already heavy workload. But being a true leader, Lara not only gave orders but personally went on rounds with her staff, in the process showing them how the new procedure could benefit patients.

Not long after, the staff completely signed on to the new protocol, resulting in an 80 percent decrease in patient falls. Lara said the reduction has been sustained for seven years.

"Teamwork among the staff in my unit established a greater sense of collaboration to implement the most wonderful ideas in our quest to provide safety and high quality care to our elderly residents," said Lara, who holds a staff satisfaction survey rate of 95 percent.

Because of the success of the project, Lara was awarded the Excellence in Nursing Innovation in 2004. This year, she was also awarded the Excellence in Nursing Management by the Philippine Nurses Association- America in Southern California.

FILIPINO TRAITS

Lara is quick to point out that there are a lot of Filipino traits that helped her clinch the ADVANCE Best Nurse Leader award. Among these are a strong faith in God, self-discipline, humility and compassion.

"Self-discipline and fortitude to complete a college education at the Manila Central University – that equipped me with the essential ability to understand my patients. It is with this same discipline and education that I am able to step back and allow my disruptive patients to verbalize their anger and frustration; the same education that provided me with the skills to use de-escalating and therapeutic listening interventions to calm them down and guide them back to civility and reality," Lara said.

She added that her ability to connect with people is a known Filipino quality.

"Whether it happens to be my patients, staff or physicians, I am able to relate to them on a specific level on an issue that is important to them. Being flexible and able to communicate with a variety of personalities is very important. It creates a comfort level that allows me to approach someone about a problem before it gets too big," Lara said.

For Lara, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing her patients feel better, free from pain. It brings her happiness to know that she made a difference in their lives. She shares one particularly heartwarming story.

"One of my most unforgettable experiences is with this patient who kept following me wherever I went. At the end of the day, he followed me to my car and said: Can I go home with you, please? "Support system

Lara attributes her success to the Lord and to her husband Romy, "the wind beneath her wings."

She also thanked her parents who taught her that if she puts good into the world, more than double will come back.

"I would like to make special mention of my staff – my partners in doing projects, ensuring success, reformatting programs to make sure that they are a success. To name a few: Angelina Leiva, Nancy Grech, Carolyn Turner-Brown, George Hill, Maria Manzano, Lucy Bermudez, Crystal Barker, Nikki Baker and the multiple experts who mentored me in nursing administration, research and clinical practice such as Dr. Janice Morse, Dr. Jan Roper, Jenice Guzman Clark, Donna Beiter, Marlene Brewster, Bonnie Pierce, Lynn Miller, Sharon Valente, Dr. Mira Cantrell, Dr. Steven Castle and Dr. Maria Gonzalez," Lara said.

"My advise to Filipino nurses is that it is not enough to dream. Work hard to accomplish your dream. Love and be passionate about nursing. Nursing is caring for the patient with integrity and commitment," Lara said.

Lara has given 35 years of loyal service to the veterans at the VA, but she looks forward to the day she will be spending more quality time with her own family.

"I am confident that the work that I have done will be carried on by the future nursing leaders. Patient-centered care is more than a protocol. It is part of our Filipino personality and I am truly proud of it," Lara concluded.

Remus Mark A. Carballo [Travel Specialist] MASTER GLOBE TOURS & TRAVEL