Valerie Boatwright, ADN, RN, CAPA, Named 2023 ABPANC Advocacy Award Recipient

Every year, ABPANC recognizes a CPAN or CAPA certified nurse who exemplifies leadership as a patient advocate with its highest honor, the Advocacy Award. ABPANC is pleased to present the award this year to Valerie Boatwright, ADN, RN, CAPA, of the University of New Mexico Hospital.

Valerie was presented with the prestigious recognition at the CPAN®/CAPA® Celebration Luncheon at the ASPAN National Conference at the Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, Colorado on April 28. Valerie was nominated by her supervisor, Ashly Stein, CAPA.

Her nominator wrote: “Whether in the recovery room, over the phone, or in a hallway, she takes every patient encounter, no matter how short, as an opportunity to provide the best care. Care led with empathy, compassion, and understanding. Her kind spirit and gentle heart make her a patient and staff favorite in the recovery room. With many patients acknowledging and thanking her by name during follow-up phone calls and students and new hires migrating to her bays to ask for patient advice.”

With 32 years of PACU experience, Valerie personalizes patient care, engages with patients and caregivers and empowers them to tackle the often-unfamiliar challenges that lay ahead. Valerie has spent untold hours coordinating care across the health care system, tracking down pharmacies that carry needed medicines, and problem solving for patient families.

Valerie is an advocate of healthcare equity and led the way for language interpretation in her unit. Valerie successfully advocated for an additional video monitor for language interpretation and discharge planning, ensuring that the instructions provided are representative of the needs of the individual patient.

But her advocacy doesn’t stop with patients. She is also a champion of education. Valerie has been an active member of her organization’s Shared Governance and process improvement groups, and a volunteer with ASPAN, her local ASPAN Component and ABPANC.

Congratulations to Valerie on this outstanding honor in recognition of her selfless care for her patients.