“Mhagsy is an outstanding leader,” said her colleague at the Antioch Medical Center, who nominated her for the Extraordinary Nurse honor. “She led the Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) quality team in achieving success, reducing CAUTI rates in the Antioch Medical Center — making our medical center number one in Northern California.”
Mhagsy Celestino-Pingul, MSN, RN, CCRN, RNM, was awarded the 2024 Extraordinary Nurse Award – Clinical Adult Services. She started at Kaiser Permanente in August 2019 as an Assistant Nurse Manager on the 4th floor Medical-Surgical Unit. Today, as a bedside Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, her primary focus is to advocate for and ensure the well-being of patients.
Celestino-Pingul describes advocating as building a strong rapport with patients and their families, understanding their needs, going above and beyond, and approaching every situation with caring hands and a compassionate heart.
Inspiration for Nursing
As her grandmother’s primary caregiver, Celestino-Pingul cared for her when she was sick. “I realized I needed more knowledge and experience to care for her. This inspired me to go into nursing,” said Celestino-Pingul.
“My colleagues inspire me, and I’m always open to learning from them. I am also thankful to have a supportive manager, Ramat Momoh, MBA, MS, CCRN-K, HCM, who inspires me with her vision for our unit — providing exceptional care and being the voice of change and improvement.”
Leading with Purpose
Celestino-Pingul shares, “I lead with purpose by actively participating in committee projects, implementing evidence-based strategies, and advocating for positive change. By doing this, I can ensure that my unit delivers the care and solutions my patients deserve.”
Delivering Care Excellence
In her nomination, Celestino-Pingul was recognized for her responsiveness during an emergency. “Mhagsy was floated to another department when she heard a scream in a patient’s room and ran in without hesitation.
She found the patient unresponsive on the bathroom floor. She called a code and started compressions while instructing the primary nurse to bring a crash cart and updating the patient’s physician,” describes her colleague. The patient and her family were thankful for her quick action. “I feel proud to work with Mhagsy.”