April Employee of the Month Announced: Elisa Fernandez, RN, Labor & Delivery Charge Nurse

Please join us in congratulating our Employee of the Month for April, Elisa Fernandez, RN. As a Charge Nurse in the Labor & Delivery Department, Elisa helps welcome Porterville’s newborns at the Sierra View Medical Center Birthing Center.

Elisa has excellent communication skills and is always transparent with everyone she works with. She maintains a collaborative working relationship with multidisciplinary teams always to deliver high-quality and safe patient care. “Elisa is an employee who comes with a full package of what any organization desires to have as part of the team,” says RN Clinical Manager of Nursery, Faye Cortes. Faye nominated Elisa for the award and says Elisa has a positive impact on the Maternal Child Health Team. Leading by example, Elisa is a role model for others in the team. With a focus on best practices, Elisa plays a strong role in updating and revising the department’s policies and procedures.

Recently, Elisa led an obstetric hemorrhage initiative and helped the Maternal Child Health Department earn a BETA Healthcare Group award in relation to BETA’s Quest for Zero preventable errors initiative. “Elisa employs critical thinking and makes very sound decisions as warranted. She supports the department and leadership and has been loyal to the organization for the past nine years,” says Faye.

Elisa supports several Maternal Child Health units: Labor & Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and Post-Partum. Elisa’s flexibility and utmost professionalism make her an asset to patients and colleagues. “She takes initiative on any performance improvement being launched for the department and encourages her colleagues’ participation as well,” says Faye.

Elisa’s commitment to excellence has gained her respect and support throughout the department because she is always on the lookout for new and better practices to better help the department’s patients and families. Beyond helping brighten the lives of expecting moms, Elisa helps with administrative and management tasks on her floor. She helps with scheduling and vacation requests and performs unit audits and necessary drills to help keep the department compliant in terms of regulatory demands. While Elisa takes her professional work very seriously, she is a lot of fun to work with. Her team knows her for her contagious laugh and smile.

Recognizing that childbirth does not always go as planned, the Maternal Child Health Department recently implemented a Bereavement Training Program. Elisa participated in the program to improve how we care for patients and families experiencing fetal demise.

When she is not on the Maternal Child Health floor of the hospital, Elisa enjoys spending time with her family and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing degree, expecting to graduate this fall. Once graduated, she will no doubt have more tools and knowledge to better help the department and serve the community.

If you or a loved one are preparing to deliver a new baby at Sierra View Medical Center, Elisa may just be one of the talented and compassionate nurses caring for you or your loved one. To learn more about Maternal Child Health services at www.sierra-view.com/maternalchildhealth.