September 2026 Honoree
Martha Tijerino, MSN, RN, SCRN
I am honored to nominate Martha Tijerino for the DAISY Nurse Educator Award. Martha has worked alongside me since our time in the Emergency Department, and when I was asked to help build 4 HOPE, I knew she was the educator I wanted beside me.
When 4 HOPE was little more than four walls and a vision, Martha accepted the challenge of stepping outside her comfort zone to learn two highly complex specialties: neuroscience and cardiac nursing. She did not simply learn these specialties for herself—she developed the knowledge, resources, and confidence necessary to prepare an entire team to provide safe, high-quality care.
Within six months, we decided that every nurse resident completing orientation on 4 HOPE would learn both specialties. Martha helped transform that vision into reality. She also led the cross-training of our experienced neuroscience and cardiac nurses so they could understand and support one another’s roles. Her work helped unite what could have remained two separate specialties into one knowledgeable, flexible, and collaborative team.
As our hospital's needs evolved, 4 HOPE was called upon to care for increasingly complex patients, including those requiring therapies traditionally managed at an ICU level, such as pulmonary lysis. Once again, Martha embraced the challenge. She ensured that our nurses received the education, hands-on preparation, and ongoing support they needed to care for these patients safely and confidently.
Since then, Martha has successfully supported multiple large cohorts of more than 15 nurse residents at a time, in addition to onboarding clinical partners and nurse interns. At times, these cohorts have overlapped, creating significant educational and operational demands. Despite the workload, Martha remains present, organized, approachable, and deeply invested in every team member's success. She understands that education is not simply the delivery of information—it is building confidence, developing critical thinking, and ensuring that nurses feel supported as they grow.
Martha’s impact extends far beyond 4 HOPE. She intentionally connects with other departments to exchange best practices, strengthen collaboration, and support fellow clinical nurse educators. Although her formal role is education, she never limits herself to a job description. When leadership team members are unavailable, Martha steps in to support staff without hesitation. She recognizes when someone is overwhelmed, when the unit needs an extra set of hands, or even when a colleague has been so busy they haven't had a chance to eat or drink. She quietly finds a way to help.
What makes Martha extraordinary is not only what she does, but how she makes people feel while doing it. She is dependable, compassionate, selfless, and consistently willing to help, no matter how large or small the task. Her colleagues trust her, our staff depends on her, and our nurses are stronger because of her guidance.
No words can fully describe what Martha means to our team. I could not have asked for a better clinical nurse educator or colleague. I trust her wholeheartedly, and she is one of the greatest reasons I asked her to join me on 4 HOPE in 2021. The unit and culture we have built would not be what they are today without her dedication, courage, and unwavering commitment to others.
Martha truly embodies the heart of nursing education, and I can think of no one more deserving of the DAISY Nurse Educator Award.
When 4 HOPE was little more than four walls and a vision, Martha accepted the challenge of stepping outside her comfort zone to learn two highly complex specialties: neuroscience and cardiac nursing. She did not simply learn these specialties for herself—she developed the knowledge, resources, and confidence necessary to prepare an entire team to provide safe, high-quality care.
Within six months, we decided that every nurse resident completing orientation on 4 HOPE would learn both specialties. Martha helped transform that vision into reality. She also led the cross-training of our experienced neuroscience and cardiac nurses so they could understand and support one another’s roles. Her work helped unite what could have remained two separate specialties into one knowledgeable, flexible, and collaborative team.
As our hospital's needs evolved, 4 HOPE was called upon to care for increasingly complex patients, including those requiring therapies traditionally managed at an ICU level, such as pulmonary lysis. Once again, Martha embraced the challenge. She ensured that our nurses received the education, hands-on preparation, and ongoing support they needed to care for these patients safely and confidently.
Since then, Martha has successfully supported multiple large cohorts of more than 15 nurse residents at a time, in addition to onboarding clinical partners and nurse interns. At times, these cohorts have overlapped, creating significant educational and operational demands. Despite the workload, Martha remains present, organized, approachable, and deeply invested in every team member's success. She understands that education is not simply the delivery of information—it is building confidence, developing critical thinking, and ensuring that nurses feel supported as they grow.
Martha’s impact extends far beyond 4 HOPE. She intentionally connects with other departments to exchange best practices, strengthen collaboration, and support fellow clinical nurse educators. Although her formal role is education, she never limits herself to a job description. When leadership team members are unavailable, Martha steps in to support staff without hesitation. She recognizes when someone is overwhelmed, when the unit needs an extra set of hands, or even when a colleague has been so busy they haven't had a chance to eat or drink. She quietly finds a way to help.
What makes Martha extraordinary is not only what she does, but how she makes people feel while doing it. She is dependable, compassionate, selfless, and consistently willing to help, no matter how large or small the task. Her colleagues trust her, our staff depends on her, and our nurses are stronger because of her guidance.
No words can fully describe what Martha means to our team. I could not have asked for a better clinical nurse educator or colleague. I trust her wholeheartedly, and she is one of the greatest reasons I asked her to join me on 4 HOPE in 2021. The unit and culture we have built would not be what they are today without her dedication, courage, and unwavering commitment to others.
Martha truly embodies the heart of nursing education, and I can think of no one more deserving of the DAISY Nurse Educator Award.
Thank you, Martha, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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