Recognition Awards

ESTRELLITA ESTRELLA-HOLDER, RN, BN, MScA.

Letter of Nomination

As a new member of the Cardiac Sciences Program-Heart Failure Team at St. Boniface General Hospital, I would like to nominate Estrellita Estrella-Holder for the CCCN Clinical Cardiovascular Nursing Excellence Award.

I am very fortunate to be in the position to learn about the care of clients with heart failure under the mentorship of Estrellita. In the fall of 2006, Cardiac Science program consolidation incurred my position transfer from the Health Sciences Centre to St. Boniface General Hospital. Estrellita was a welcoming nursing leader who fostered my knowledge and role development as a member of our heart failure team. She is a very positive role model with high standards of patient care that I strive to emulate.

In her role as the Clinical Nurse Specialist, Estrellita demonstrates highly skilled communication and collaboration skills which are paramount to coordinate consistent patient care among physician team members who rotate through our clinics. She has excellent professional relationships with all team members which translate into optimal care for the clients. Estrellita encourages patient follow-up and communication by providing all of her patients with her contact information. She is accessible to her patients and listens to their concerns and provides them with educational and psychosocial support.

Estrellita is often called upon to provide professional presentations to her colleagues, nursing students and her clients about heart failure. In doing so, she helps to promote, develop and facilitate professional nursing education and client education about heart failure. She keeps current on best practice research and integrates the finding into her clinical practice. She is focused on clinical research and has been involved in many research studies. Estrellita was the principal investigator for our site for the COPE Study "Congestive Heart Failure Outreach Program of Education."

Estrellita volunteers her time to partake in many organizations and community services that further the promotion of heart health in Manitoba. For example, she volunteered at the Canadian Diabetes Education Day in early May. She is the workshop chair of the Philippine Nurses Association of Manitoba. She recently participated with physician colleagues in a public education session on heart failure that was broadcast live on a local radio station.

As the Clinical Nurse Specialist, Estrellita takes responsibility for maintaining and improving quality of care to clients with heart failure through clinical practice, education research and consultation. She is directly involved in the management of clients referred to the heart failure clinic utilizing her extensive expertise in health assessment and patient education.

Shari Barker, RN, BSN.