Elvira is an educator and a nurse by profession. She was formerly a university professor in her country and was an education
lecturer in Nigeria before she migrated to this country. She is a graduate with five degrees: 3 Bachelors degrees and 2 Masters degrees.
Her last degree is Master of Science in Nursing at UCHSC. She is a recipient of various scholarships as a student here and abroad.
She is a pioneer staff of MWFYSC since it opened its doors in March, 1997. She relinquished a supervisory position with a much higher
wage because she believes that nursing is a vocation in life and working with wayward youths is much more self-fulfilling and challenging.
She believes in loyalty and she stated that devoting a solidarity of time for one employer is much more profitable and rewarding.
Since that time she has consistently shown an eagerness to learn. She has exceptional nursing skills, a calm self-assured attitude
toward all clients and staff members.
She always demonstrates a willingness to serve as a team member, flexible, and with outstanding
critical thinking skills. She is fluent in four languages, a wonderful asset in the nursing profession. With the untimely death of
one of her colleagues at the Medical Clinic in 1998, with no female staff caring for the female population in the facility and with
the determination to give and be her best, she decided to sign a contract with the DYC Medical Services to pursue her Master of Science
in Nursing and become a Nurse Practitioner. Upon her graduation, she received job offers but declined them for only one reason: She
believes in loyalty and is forever indebted to the State of Colorado that has given her the best opportunity to be the best that she
can be.
She started working in this facility as a registered nurse. During this time, she assisted with the design of
a Health Admission Orientation leaflet both in English and Spanish and implemented a medication distribution system in coordination
with the primary care physician, the psychiatrists and the nurse practitioner working in the facility. Her design proved so successful
that two other similar facilities adopted the same system. The clinic was always 100 % free of deficiency ratings when she was in-charge
of medication distribution.
Her ability to relate to clients because of her language communication skills results in a
higher level of care. While assessing a Spanish-speaking client, she discovered an untreated brain tumor. With the support of her
first line supervisor, and with many phone calls and much coordination, the client was sent to a university neurosurgeon, a surgery
was performed and the individual has returned to full function, relieving the facility administration to deal with a life threatening situation
later. She also handles injuries as well as acute and minor illnesses in the same calm and self-assured manner. There is never a doubt
among her co-workers that she always has always the best interests of the clients foremost in her mind.
At one time, there were only
two staff running the clinic, and for three months her supervisor has been ill, she ran the clinic alone with no discrepancy. She
knows how to budget her time, setting priorities and setting aside tasks which could be done later. She demonstrates flexibility,
willingly changing her schedule or even working overtime to assure the health care needs within the facility are met. While in school,
she tried with the best of her ability not to jeopardize her job performance and accomplish most of her task without complaints. During
this difficult time, working and studying at the same time, her willingness to work with her positive attitude and flexibility is
highly commendable. When she assumed office last year as a Nurse Practitioner, with the support of the medical team, and adhering
to the medical services facility standards, the Medical Clinic garnered this year a statewide Outstanding Performance by the Quality
Assurance Management Team.
Her dedication to the mission and philosophy of MWFYSC, the Division of Youth Corrections and the Department
of Human Services is outstanding. As an Asian and a member of the minority group in a foreign county, she has come across many challenges
and proves her worth. With her impressive array of accomplishments both personally and professionally, her nomination and selection
as Employee of the Year is clearly justified.
