NURIA ACOSTA DUNN, BA, RN.C, CCRN
Staff Nurse, Critical Care Center
Riverview Medical Center
Red Bank, New Jersey
Nuria Acosta Dunn is a staff nurse in the Critical Care Center at Riverview Medical Center. She demonstrates nursing proficiency at an expert level, identifying subtle changes in patient conditions and implementing nursing interventions to forestall further complications in an existing critical care patient situation. In her professional practice role, Ms. Acosta Dunn establishes trusting relationships with her patients and their families and acts as a passionate patient advocate, offering guidance and advice in difficult situations that impact quality of life as well as length of life. She continuously exercises a calm behavior, professional judgment and a team approach to emergent situations.
Ms. Acosta Dunn’s professional role as an educator is not only evidenced by her patient and family teaching methodologies but also by her role as unit preceptor to new staff, students, interns and externs. She is an often-requested preceptor because of her reputation for providing support, guidance and encouragement as well as her knowledge base and evidence based practice. Nuria is considered an expert resource in the use of the Aortic Balloon Pump and Continuous Veno-Venous Hemodialysis, a form of continuous renal replacement, and as such, is flexible with her schedule to accommodate staff education. It was Ms. Acosta Dunn’s suggestion that the Critical Care Nurses Fund monies be used to purchase certification review materials and has resulted in several colleagues taking steps to obtain national certification since these resources are available.
Ms. Acosta Dunn is an approved Spanish translator and is frequently called upon to translate in her own unit and elsewhere in the hospital. Just recently, a patient became a candidate for organ donation and Nuria stayed past her twelve hour shift to assist the family through this process with translation, care, and compassion.
Nuria is active in Rhett’s Foundation, advocating for patients’ rights and lobbying for research funding and disease investigation. She created “Team Abby for the International Rhett Syndrome Foundation”. She and her team participate in fundraising activities and have raised $10,000 to date for this cause.
As a leader, Ms. Acosta Dunn is responsible for encouraging and modeling approaches and behaviors that support the mission, vision and values of Riverview Medical Center. She collaborates with other disciplines to promote an environment that supports nursing practice. Ms. Acosta Dunn recently won the 2007 Nurse Excellence Award at Riverview Medical Center, which is given annually to recognize the outstanding performance of a nurse who is a direct patient care provider. Ms. Acosta Dunn maintains a culture of excellence and delivers a truly extraordinary experience to patients and families through her kindness, compassion and respect. Nuria is not afraid to embrace change; instead, she turns every situation into an opportunity for positive performance.