Vilma L.

Comoda: Excellence in Nursing Leadership Printer Friendly Version Email A Friend NurseTogether would like to recognize a Filipino nurse leader who has made an im pact in the lives of many nurses in the Philippines, specifically in Davao City. She is Vilma L. Comoda, BSN, RN, MAN, CSEE, PhD (c). Vilma Comoda finished he r Pre-Nursing at Ateneo de Davao University in 1975 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1979, at one of the country s premiere nursing schools, San Ped ro College. In 1995, she completed her Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN) at the A teneo de Davao University. Mrs. Comoda is currently finishing her Ph.D in Educ ation Administration at the same university. She received an international stud y grant in Management and Leadership in Nursing by Kaplan Academic School of Nur sing in Rehovot, Israel, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sta te of Israel in 2003. Vilma Comoda is both a clinician and an educator. She be gan her career as a Staff Nurse at Davao Medical Center, then rose through the r anks and became a Senior Nurse in 1986, a Nurse Supervisor in 1990, and to the t op brass of the department as Chief Nurse/Director of Nursing Service in 1995 to present. She is also a part-time professor at Ateneo de Davao and other school s of nursing. Mrs. Comoda has held top positions in professional nursing organizations such as the Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines (ANSAP), P hilippine Nurses Association (PNA), and National League of Government Nurses (NL GN) as Chapter President. She was also former Regional Governor and current adv iser of the PNA, and the Association of Private Duty Nurses of the Philippines D avao Chapter. Mrs. Comoda has led two cooperatives in her hospital for more tha n a decade, and made it a strong financial enterprise. She has received the Nat ional Award of Excellence in Nursing Practice as Outstanding Nurse Practitioner in Mindanao in 2002, by ANSAP and B. Braun Co. She also received the Pauline Gu ilmette Most Outstanding Alumni Award given by San Pedro College during its Gold en Jubilee Celebration in 2006. Vilma Comoda has been very active in uplifting and maintaining the image of the nursing profession. She is a staunch ally of student and professional nurses, a nd during the nursing board exam scandal of 2006, she made a strong stand for st udent nurses for a no retake policy. She has successfully implemented governmen t health programs, professional training workshops, and seminars for nurses. Sh e is a passionate advocate of safe nursing practice. With her excellent manager ial skills and transformational leadership, Mrs. Comoda started the cross-traini ng of nurses in different areas to make them more skillful and flexible. Furthe rmore, Mrs. Comoda spearheaded an innovative restructuring of duties. In pursui t of more positive outcomes for patients and her nursing staff, she improved doc umentation and medication administration protocol. Her ability to imagine creat ive strategies and build morale is legendary. Under her leadership, DMC s Nursing Se rvice has reached new heights in clinical practice, education and research. Vilma Comoda has been a driving force for nurses, and has devoted her career to the profession. She is a visionary leader and a consummate paradigm of intellig ence, skill and humility. Her dedication and love of nursing earned her a spot among the most idolized nurses in the community. Vilma L. Comoda is a woman of excellence in nursing leadership that Filipino nurses are proud of. About the Author: Patrick Simon S. Soria, BSN, RN, MAN (c) is a mentor and activ e nurse volunteer for the organization Operation Smile International. Patrick s bac kground is in Medical-Surgical and Maternal-Child Nursing, and he currently resi des in the Philippines where he serves as a Senior Staff Nurse at a government h ospital. Patrick has a strong passion for helping those in need, and is a great source of inspiration for his fellow Filipino nurses.