From the island to the world: CatSU alumnus wins prestigious 2023 Vascular Access Nurse of the Year Award

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From the island to the world: CatSU alumnus wins prestigious 2023 Vascular Access Nurse of the Year Award

In a night of celebration for the unsung heroes in the medical field, one Catandunganon stood out from the rest.

Dressed in a dapper coat and tie rather than his usual hospital scrubs, Romeo Valeza received the prestigious Bronze award in the Vascular Access Nurse of the Year category from the British Journal of Nursing (BJN) at the Banking Hall in London, United Kingdom on March 8, 2023, making him the only Catandungan to win such an award that night.

Valeza, who hails from Virac, Catanduanes, currently serves as an Apheresis Charge Nurse at Hammersmith Hospital under Imperial College Healthcare Trust. His introduction of a unique apheresis procedure using ultrasound guidance in 2017 was a breakthrough from the usual use of femoral lines and has since created a significant impact on his patients’ lives.

His outstanding dedication, excellence in his work, compassion, and unmatched work ethic made him worthy of receiving the award, which recognizes the achievements of vascular access nurses responsible for progress, continued professional development, and improved patient care within vascular access.

Furthermore, Valeza is a highly skilled hematology-oncology nurse who worked as a lead nurse for apheresis in a major NHS hospital in London. This type of work specializes in providing patients with access to their circulatory system to perform red cell exchange treatment. As this work requires rigorous focus, attention to detail, and expertise, they are often expected to become miracle workers who make even the most impossible cases possible. During his time, he has performed miracles and helped countless patients receive safe and effective vascular access.

His list of expertise goes on, as he is also skilled in bone marrow aspiration and ultrasound-guided peripheral cannulation.

With more than 30 years of experience in stem-cell transplantation, chemotherapy administration, and general surgical nursing, he has already acquired numerous awards and commendations, such as Outstanding Alumnus, Presidential Awardee, ASFA’s Choosing Wisely Initiative Champion, Terumo’s Advancing Apheresis award (runner-up), and the most recent BJN Vascular Nurse of the Year bronze medal award.

In addition, he is a published researcher with two abstract publications in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis and British Society for Haematology, earning him recognition and awards in the UK and the USA.

However, before all the commendations and accolades, he was once a student from the small island of Catanduanes at Catanduanes State University, which was then Catanduanes State Colleges. He graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1990, with a full scholarship from the Gabriel Sorra Scholarship Foundation. His time at the University served as his stepping stone and training ground for his chosen field.

Later on, he pursued a Master of Arts in Nursing at the University of Santo Tomas under a full scholarship from the Philippine Civil Service Commission Local Scholarship Program. He then enrolled in different universities in London to continue his professional development.

As an alumnus of CatSU and the College of Health Sciences (CHS), he consistently supports the College’s agenda of providing quality nursing education to its students by participating in various donation drives organized by the College.

He continues to be an inspiration to students, particularly student nurses, as well as his nursing colleagues and fellow alumni, proving that even a former student from a small island can stand out in the world.