Celebrating Outstanding PCAs at the 2025 PCA ICARE Awards
June 27, 2025
By: Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
Categories: Colleague Stories, Healthy Living
Find out who exemplifies Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.
Providing our patients with the highest quality of care is only possible thanks to our dedicated Patient Care Assistants. Josh Epps, Director of Medical-Surgical Units, opened the PCA ICARE awards by thanking the outstanding PCAs in the room before recognizing the winners.
Integrity – Rose Nkuili, Tallahassee Memorial Rehabilitation Center (nomination presented by Kara Payne, RN, Director of TMRC)
“Rose is one of the best CNAs at TMRC. All patients and relatives love her work. She's compassionate and competent at what she does. Her leaders and co-workers respect her because of the excellent care that she provides to our patients. She is kind, empathetic, and willing to go an extra mile to give the best patient care experience. Her attention to the small details and her knowledge of the clinical part of her job, makes her a standout in her field. She always spends the extra time giving a shower, and she puts forth the extra effort to assist nurses with skin sweeps or any other task with that she is asked to do.”
Compassion – Jennifer English, Clinical Decision Unit (nomination presented by Jayni Langdon, RN, CDU Assistant Nurse Manager)
“Jennifer always goes above and beyond for her patients, selflessly helping them through difficult situations. After taking care of all her patients, she brought another patient to visit her husband in the ICU, who was terminally ill. He tragically passed soon after, but the family specifically thanked Jennifer for taking the time to bring her to see him. Similarly, after taking care of everyone else, she brought another patient who had just given birth to see her premature infant in the NICU. It was only the second time since giving birth that anyone had taken her to see her baby, and the patient was so grateful. In both cases, Jennifer took the initiative to help these patients see their loved ones, without compromising the care of her other patients. These are just a couple examples of Jennifer's compassion and selflessness.”
Accountability – Tamela Watson-Byrd, Neurology/Neurosurgery (nomination presented by Neketa Coleman, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager of Neurology/Neurosurgery)
“Tamela exemplifies accountability in everything she does as a PCA on our Neurology/Neurosurgery Medical-Surgical Unit. Tamela can be trusted to take the best possible care of her patients and serves as a strong member of the interdisciplinary team. She always approaches the leadership team with any questions or concerns she encounters in her daily work. In this way, Tamela builds on her previous knowledge and elevates the team with her professionalism and curiosity. As an educator working with Tamela, it has been a refreshing and validating experience. Tamela will often come to me and ask me to look at a patient's skin or further evaluate their risk for falls, contributing to our unit achieving zero patient falls in 30 days. Tamela recently achieved her nurse assistant certification and has begun taking nursing classes. I am confident that Tamela will excel in this profession and do her part to elevate the ever-evolving definition of professional nursing practice.”
Respect – Aries “Kyle” Pacheco, Diabetes Medical Care Unit (nomination presented by Deborah Smith, RN, DMCU Assistant Nurse Manager)
“Kyle shows exceptional dedication and commitment to his job and he has proven himself to be an invaluable member of our team. Kyle always treats his patients with unwavering respect, dignity and compassion, regardless of their age, gender or medical condition. He takes the time to listen to their concerns, provide comfort and reassurance and ensure their needs are met to the best of his ability. His gentle and caring nature has a positive impact on the well-being and recovery of the patients under his care. In addition to his interactions with patients, Kyle also shows great respect towards his co-workers. He is always willing to lend a helping hand, offer support and collaborate with other members of the healthcare team to provide the best possible care for patients. Kyle's commitment to respect contributes to the overall success of TMH, creating a culture of respect and compassion that elevate our quality of care. His positive attitude and strong work ethic set an example for others to follow.”
Excellence – Che’la Presha, Clinical Decision Unit nomination presented by Lisa Bennett, RN, CDU Assistant Nurse Manager)
“Che’la is the kind of team member you wish you could duplicate. She approaches every task with pride, positivity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Her care and treatment of patients consistently earn her praise and admiration from both colleagues and patients alike. Her sweet, calming nature has a way of soothing even the most difficult individuals, and her patience seems to have no limits. Last week, we had a particularly challenging patient who was suffering from dementia. They were frequently aggressive and verbally abusive, even striking a staff member. Then, on the third night, Che’la arrived for her shift and something remarkable happened. With her calm demeanor, gentle voice, and sincere, compassionate approach, she was able to connect with the patient in a way no one else had. He listened. He followed directions. The room that had been a source of stress and chaos became quiet. That night was peaceful, and it was all thanks to Che’la. Beyond this extraordinary moment, Che’la consistently demonstrates dedication and integrity in everything she does. She is thorough in her care and goes above and beyond. At the end of her shift, her patients are clean, their rooms are tidy, and their needs are met. Che’la is always willing to help techs, even when the patient isn't assigned to her. Her work ethic, compassion, and excellence set a standard we should strive to emulate across the board.”
