A group of LLU Nursing professionals and leaders stand beneath a sign reading “Unit 5700 Pediatric Intensive Care” posing for a group photo in a hospital corridor, celebrating the unit receiving a Nurses Week honor.
The LLUCH 5700 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit celebrates with hospital and university leadership for being named Clinical Rotation Unit of the Year by the LLU School of Nursing undergraduate students.
By Jackson Boren - May 12, 2026

Loma Linda University School of Nursing was happy to ring in another round of our Nurses Week traditions this year, as we took time to celebrate nursing professionals of all disciplines, past, present and future. “Our institution has a legacy of producing strong nursing professionals who have gone on to impact our local and global community,” said the School of Nursing Dean, Dr. Shawn Collins. “Nurses Week is always a great opportunity to shine a light on some of these individuals and how their work impacts our students.”

One of the biggest ways the school has moved to showcase these nursing professionals has been through the Students Choice Nurses Week Awards. Nursing students from both undergraduate and graduate programs were surveyed and given a chance to nominate their favorite precepting nurses and clinical unit rotations of the year. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Student Affairs, Dr. Brandie Richards adds details why precepting nurses are so important to the student experience, saying,

 “Precepting nurses are the unsung architects of the profession—transforming classrooms into living practice, shaping hesitant students into confident caregivers, and passing down the judgment, compassion, and resilience that no textbook can fully teach. It’s important that we acknowledge this to our LLU nursing community.”

A smiling healthcare worker stands indoors holding a glass award and a gift bag in front of a large colorful “Thank You Nurses” banner decorated with medical symbols, syringes, pills, and hearts. The person wears dark scrubs and a zip-up jacket and faces the camera in a waiting-room style space with chairs on both sides.

This year the undergraduate students nominated Enoch Vo for his work precepting in the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. Vo graduated from LLUSN in 2023. One student stated in their nomination, “He was so kind and patient with me. He made sure I felt comfortable doing a skill before applying it with a patient. He taught me how to chart and made me feel like I was a priority.”

A bearded healthcare employee wearing glasses stands in a hallway holding a clear award plaque beside a wall sign reading “Health, Behavior & Wellness Center.” The person smiles at the camera while wearing dark medical attire and a black zip-up jacket. The hallway extends into the background with soft overhead lighting.

For the graduate programs, Reynaldo Gamo, DNP, PMHNP-BC was nominated as preceptor of the year. Reynaldo graduated from LLUSN in 2022 and is currently part of the Behavioral Health team at SAC Health – a Federally Qualified Health Center in San Bernardino. Notably, Gamo had also separately been nominated as preceptor of the quarter within the program.

For the undergraduate Unit Rotation of the Year, the 5700 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was honored as a place where students felt welcome to learn and grow while also working alongside nursing professionals who conveyed a love for the profession and a natural empathetic instinct. One student nomination stated, “This is the unit that made me realize I want to work with children. I loved their team dynamic. Everyone worked very well together and everyone was willing to help the students learn and get hands on experience.”

In addition to these awards, the students were also included in the week’s festivities, as the Alumni Association provided burrito lunches to the student body throughout the week. Alumni Association president and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Nursing, Dr. Gloria Huerta said, “Experiencing Nurses Week as a student reminds future nurses and graduate nurses that they are a part of a community of compassion and service, not just a profession.”