Excellence is a way of life at QEII’s Emergency Department (ED), where A/Associate Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) Gracielle “Gracie” Torres claimed the 2024 International Nurses Day Excellence in Nursing award this May.
Key to her success is Gracie’s wealth of experience both on and off the floor, a determination for self-improvement, and an enduring capacity for change which she demonstrates through her exemplary adaptability in the ED environment.
“ED is where I found I wanted to be. I’ve dipped my toes in other specialties, but I knew if I was going to be a nurse, it had to be in ED,” said Gracie.
As she closes in on 14 years of nursing, Gracie’s inspired journey from graduate nurse to ED A/Assoc. NUM has seen her grow with the hospital that launched her career.
“I enjoy this role because I get to lead the people I grew up with. I saw our small team of 9 nurses per shift grow up to 22.
“120 patients per day was a very busy day back then, but now it's up to 200. Seeing that growth happen has been the highlight of my career. I feel privileged to be a part of that.”
Between a full work schedule, a post-grad in Healthcare Leadership and Management, and family life, Gracie says it’s a balanced approach to her work and wellbeing that fuels her.
“When you do any kind of shift work in a high stress environment like ED, you go through a lot with your patients and you take a lot home with you. It’s important to take care of yourself when you have the time to, because you can’t pour from an empty cup,” she said.
With a passion for people and a heart for leadership, Gracie thrives on combining her nursing and business skills in the ED environment, where she has flourished in a number of roles and inspired her team over the years.
“Every day I come to work, I purposely go through the department and touch base with the shift coordinator, ask them how things are going. I enjoy that because it reminds me of my why – why I’m doing this and why I want to do a good job for my patients and my team.”
Gracie is taking her wealth of expertise and the best of QEII ED’s team culture to PA Hospital’s Specialty Outpatients Department (SOPD) this August, where she looks forward to switching gears into her new role as A/NUM.
“Leaving can feel scary because I’ve been at QEII a long time and I’ve had connections with everyone, but I’m excited to start something new and branch out.”
“When you care about the person next to you, it shows that you care about your patients. We can only give good care to patients if we know and trust the person next to us. The team culture here is central to everything we do because it ultimately drives positive patient outcomes. I want to take the best of that with me.”
Congratulations, Gracie! We’re all rooting for you.