“Being a Home Health Nurse requires compassionate nursing where critical thinking, listening, communication, and teaching skills are required to care for patients in their homes — this is Amber,” said Karen Franchetti, RN, Amber’s teammate at the Santa Clara Medical Center.
Amber Avina, BSN, RN, is a clinical services supervisor in the Continuum and a three-year Kaiser Permanente employee.
Inspiration for Nursing
Amber’s journey to nursing began at fifteen, during a chaotic day at Surf Cincinnati Water Park where she worked as a lifeguard. “A wind burst caused several medical emergencies — cardiac arrest, a woman went into labor, and someone lost consciousness. The day was chaotic, but everyone coming together to help made me realize I love helping others,” she recalls.
Working at KP, she is inspired by the fact that staff have a voice and a voice that is heard. “My colleagues support each other in the field and the office, providing exceptional care to our patients,” said Avina.
Leading with Purpose
Amber leads with purpose by setting an example for her colleagues. “I don’t ask others to do or perform a task that I am unwilling to do myself. I embrace open-door communications by remaining approachable and encouraging a speak-up culture,” said Avina.
“Amber’s critical thinking, compassion, and exceptional care experience help set up other home health nurses for success,” stated Mikee Ona, PT, quality director in the Home Health and Hospice Department at the Santa Clara Medical Center.
As a member of the Santa Clara Home Health Readmission Reduction Performance Improvement Project, Amber plays a key role in readmission initiatives. Her work includes eliminating waste to improve efficiency in care delivery and helping patients and caregivers better understand their care plan,” he added.
Delivering Care Excellence
“My purpose is to provide quality and compassionate care to our members to aid them in meeting their care goals to avoid hospital readmission,” said Avina.
“Amber plays a pivotal role in managing daily clinical operations, including overseeing employee safety and working closely with health care providers and physicians to ensure the highest standard of patient care.”
“Amber practices heart math to help alleviate stress, allowing her to remain composed and intuitive, which ultimately helps her deliver excellent care to patients. We are lucky to have Amber on our team,” declared Ona.