GCNF

2005 PRESIDENT’S AWARD - DR. ESTER RUIZ
Tribute to a Great mentor and friend

There are people in your life that leave a lasting impression and that you know they will always be in your heart no matter where life takes you. Through graduate studies at Arizona State University and through the National Association of Hispanic Nurses I’ve had the pleasure and honor of knowing Dr. Ester Ruiz. Whenever I need someone to talk to and lift my spirits up I always turn to Dr. Ruiz. There were times in my Nurse Practitioner program when things got tough and it seemed easier to quit than to keep going. I was fortunate to have Dr. Ruiz to lean on and one day while going through my mailbox I found a paper she had been writing about the Healthcare Beliefs of Minority Women and on the top she wrote “no te rajes” which in English means “don’t give up!” Her words of encouragement have always given me the strength and courage to face the challenges of work and school. She has a philosophical mind, a kind soul and a great sense of humor. She makes me proud to be Hispanic and as a mentor she inspires me to be the best person I can be.

Adriana Rivera, MSN, RN
Doctoral Student
Arizona State University

I would like to express my deepest thanks to Dr. Ester Ruiz for her encouragement, support and guidance since my first year working at ASU College of Nursing. Dr. Ruiz has been my teacher, friend and mentor and crucial to my development into a young nursing researcher and faculty. Her dedication to mentoring junior faculty and students and helping vulnerable populations has gained the respect of her colleagues, students and the community. We love you, Dr. Ruiz!

Angela Chia-Chen Chen, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing
College of Nursing – Dream ∙ Discover ∙ Deliver
Arizona State University

I have known Dr. Ruiz since we worked together at St. Luke’s twenty some years ago. She is an exceptional human being and, as a nursing faculty member, continues to be unselfishly available to students and peers as a stalwart support and helpful resource.

Maryanna H. Foley, Ph.D., APRN

I have had the honor of being a Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Student of Dr. Esther Ruiz this semester. She is an outstanding mentor and role model for expertise and competence in the role of advanced practice psychiatric nurse and therapist. I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to learn from her.

Lisa Sims

Dr. Ruiz is my Thesis Chair and is wonderful! She was able to turn my graduate proposal idea into a hopefully excellent study for “The Adolescent with Diabetes: Self-Efficacy and the Glycoslated Hemoglobin.” I had talked to two other potential Chairs that told me I would need to change this and that, but Dr. Ruiz took one look at my proposal and said that my idea was excellent and doable for a thesis proposal study. She gave me the confidence that I needed to proceed with my original thesis proposal. Dr. Ruiz is always available to give her advise on school or non-school related events. I hope that when I am finished with graduate school I can inspire other nurses to reach for their dreams, as she had done for me.

Cheryl Kline BSN, RN: cjtkline@msn.com

I first met Ester when I had an interview to get into the program at ASU. She was so professional and full of knowledge at the interview that my excitement just soared when I thought about becoming an advanced practice nurse. As I have had a chance to be in Ester’s classes, I have found her also to be very warm personally, and sincerely interested in her students. Dr. Ruiz teaches with a sense of ease, and make the information not only interesting, but very clear and easy to understand. Ester gives a great deal of herself to her students. Personally she is one of those teachers and mentors that is admired by her students not only because of her personality and knowledge base, but also because she teaches the application of the process so well. I feel very lucky to have the chance to have Ester as a mentor and instructor. I feel she is so deserving of this award and I am very happy for her…

Natalie Corsbie

I was thrilled to hear about Dr. Ester Ruiz’s Outstanding Nursing Mentor Award. As an assistant professor at Arizona State University College of Nursing, I have the privilege of working with Dr. Ester Ruiz. Approximately five years ago, Ester became a valuable mentor to me, helping me prepare to teach graduate nursing students. Ester answered my many questions and shared her teaching materials and teaching techniques with me. Through our many discussions, Ester helped me recognize my strengths and abilities to become the assistant professor I am today.

Dr. Ester Ruiz is definitely an outstanding nurse mentor and nurse scholar. Her contributions to nursing fulfill the goals of this prestigious award.

Nelma B. C. Shearer, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Arizona State University
College of Nursing

Ester goes far beyond the traditional roles of professor. In addition to Ester’s skilled expertise and broad knowledge base, she provided individual counseling and support to many of her students who were challenged with managing the stress of grad school and life. There are several of us Nurse Practitioners in Psychiatry who would not be serving the vulnerable populations we currently work with, had it not been for Ester’s supportive and timely interventions. In addition, Ester enriched our understanding of mental health and illness from cultural perspectives. She also provided opportunities to explore integrative methods for achieving optimal health for our patients and ourselves. Ester’s gifts keep on giving even years after graduation. She is a wise and humble woman of grace, light and honor. She is a jewel and a blessing, and a heck of a salsa dancer too.
Congratulations Ester on (finally) being recognized and honored for sharing the extraordinary gift of yourself.

Maribeth Gallagher
Hospice of the Valley
Dementia Project