Ceremony honors nurses for commitment to caring

By Neal Narahara

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Nursing has come a long way since the field was pioneered by
Florence Nightingale almost 150 years ago, but those honored at the
Nurse Recognition Awards show that the basics remain the same.

On Tuesday, more than 30 nurses were singled out for their
commitment to healing. The awards programs are held annually to
coincide with Nightingale’s birthday and Nurse Recognition
Week.

“When I started here in 1975, I wanted to help
people,” said Alice Valenzuela, who won the Outpatient
Registered Nurse Award in recognition of her work in the emergency
room. “It’s corny, but it’s true.”

And it was true for many of the attendees of the program, many
of whom filed into the canopied Volunteer Patio at the Medical
Center fresh from, or on their way to work, wearing their
scrubs.

“I enjoy working with patients and making a difference in
patient care,” said Shay Walker, one of four winners of Care
Partner Scholarships, which awarded her several hundred dollars to
help her finish her education at Mount St. Mary’s
College.

Tuesday’s event also gave several people a chance to pay
back the kindness given them by the nursing staff in the form of
endowed awards and scholarships.

“During my 15 years as an administrator at the
university’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, the one
thing that hasn’t changed is the commitment of care partners
and nurses to the one thing that really makes a difference to this
Med Center, the patients,” said Devra Breslow, who along with
her husband, Dr. Lester Breslow, endowed a scholarship.

“When Lester had a heart attack it was the care partners
that laid on hands and helped him walk,” she said.

Assistant Provost John Sandbrook from the College of Letters
& Science also took the opportunity to show his appreciation by
presenting awards made possible by a permanent endowment made on
behalf of his parents, who were cared for by UCLA nurses in their
final days.

Later in the program, Dr. Thomas Graham was recognized by staff
members with the Outstanding Physician Award, the only award not
presented to a nurse or care partner.

“It means more than I can say, they keep this department
afloat,” Graham said. “Nurses are a special breed.
They’re dedicated, hard working, and they care about patients
more than any other group I’ve worked with.”

In addition to the recognition for their caring and commitment,
award winners were recognized for their leadership and
innovation.

Carol Palome, affectionately known as “Mama C” by
her colleagues, was named Registered Nurse of the Year largely
because of her enthusiasm and tireless efforts to assist and train
nurses with new techniques.

Katherine Brown-Seltzman was singled out by Heidi Crooks, the
senior associate director of operations and patient care services
at the Medical Center who emceed the awards, for the
Director’s Award. The recognition came in honor of her
efforts to create the “Circle of Caring,” a retreat for
health professionals that allows them to share their experiences,
learn relaxation techniques and alternate forms of treatment.

“There are things we do in our work that we feel really
passionate about, and that is the way I feel about the
retreat,” Brown-Seltzman said.

Although the retreat focused on the well-being of the
participants, she said that skills picked up at the retreat would
have a positive “ripple effect” into their treatment of
patients.

The program itself recognized more than just the award winners,
but was a celebration of all the nurses at the UCLA Medical Center.
The catered event featured desserts, a band, and a lively mood as
co-workers stood up and cheered for their colleagues.

“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by such talented and
outstanding nurses,” Crooks said .

“This is a small token of appreciation to the staff in
recognition of their work year round that enables us to give out
patient care,” she said.

An additional senior service awards ceremony was held Wednesday
and another will be held today at the Faculty Center for operating
room nurses.