International Nurse Awardees
2017 International Nurse Awardee
LOURDES MARIE S. TEJERO, Phd, MAN, BSN
Dean, University of the Philippines Manila College of Nursing (2013-2017)
For her leadership and dedication in forging linkages between the U.P. Manila College of Nursing and nursing institutions of other countries to advance nursing education and healthcare.
The International Nurse Award was created and instituted by the University of the Philippines International Nursing & Healthcare Forum (UPINHF INC) to honor the UP Nurses and celebrate their achievements that advance the nursing profession, improve healthcare, and provide meaningful benefit to patients, groups, communities, and ultimately, all of mankind. As the name of the award suggests, the main criteria is the nominee’s body of work and/or projects initiated and implemented, solely and/or in collaboration and cooperation with others, that have international importance or global impact.
This award’s first recipient is Dr. Lourdes Marie Sequerra Tejero, a UP nurse who not just met the criteria for the honor but exceeded it. Working with many nursing institutions of foreign countries, Dr. Tejero manifested acumen and leadership for the world to appreciate and recognize. She was a visiting professor and/or lecturer/speaker at the Woosong University, South Korea; the Nagoya University in Japan; the University of Sumatra in Utara, Indonesia; the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia; and the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
As Dean of the University of the Philippines Manila College of Nursing (UPCN), Dr. Tejero initiated and led the college in forging international linkages with nursing institutions around the world. She was instrumental in formulating and signing of the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between UPCN and John Hopkins University, Dokkyo University in Japan and Mahidol University in Thailand, among others. For the ASEAN Integration focusing on the mobility of nurses among the ASEAN countries, she is one of the chosen Nurse Leaders forming the “Southeast and East Asian Nursing Education and Research Network” that meet yearly since 2015 in Chaingmai, Thailand.
As Head of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Leadership in Nursing Development at UPCN, Dean Tejero led the college in various projects. The Dean visited Myanmar at the invitation of the Ambassador to further develop the nursing profession as the country transitions to a democratic government. She also saw through the completion of the Cambodia Nurse Bridging Program initiated by her predecessor. The Cambodian nurse leaders and faculty members, trained by the UPCN faculty, were transitioned from their Associate in Nursing Degrees to BS in Nursing Degrees.
The success of her mission abroad was spawned by her earlier academic feats at home. Lourdes Marie Sequerra Tejero graduated in 1993 as valedictorian and cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at UPCN in 1993. She was also at the top ten of the Philippine Nursing Board Examinations. After graduation, she worked as a Neonatal ICU nurse, Head nurse, nurse supervisor, and Training officer in Pediatric Nursing at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center where she embarked on some challenging projects. Her research paper “Exploratory Study on Pregnancy Loss” won the research contest in the “Fetus as a Patient” Convention of Physicians in 1998.
In 1999, Ms. Tejero completed the requirements for the Master of Arts in Nursing Degree with high distinction from the University of Asia and the Pacific. She finished her PhD in Nursing from the University of the Philippines (UP) in 2009 and took her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia in 2011. She earned the Catherine Pouget Award from the Mapi Research Trust of France for her dissertation grant.
Ms. Tejero joined the UP Manila College of Nursing as Assistant Professor in 2004. She was promoted to Associate Professor after finishing her PhD in Nursing. She was appointed as Director (2011-2013) of the UP National Graduate Office for the Health Sciences where she coordinated the graduate programs of the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Pharmacy, Allied Medical Professions,NTTC-HP, Arts and Sciences. In December 2013, the UP Board of Regents appointed Dr. Tejero as the UPCN Dean and served in that capacity until 2017.
A sought-after speaker, Dean Tejero attended many seminars, conventions, and conferences in the Philippines and other countries notable of which was as a panel speaker in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 High Level Meeting on Health and Economy.
Dean Tejero is also a prolific researcher and writer. She authored studies and articles in line with UPINHF’s healthcare objectives and its drive to seek advancement in the nursing profession. Her publications include “Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Nurse-Patient Bonding,” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING STUDIES (2010) and “The Mediating Role of Nurse-Patient Dyad Bonding in Bringing About Patient Satisfaction,” JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING (2012).
Dean Tejero’s devotion and dedication to the nursing profession accorded her many citations and recognition like the Best Oral Presentation Award (Research Paper), East Asia Forum of Nursing Scholars, Hong Kong Polytechnic University; the “Distinguished Alumna Award in Nursing Education,” University of the Philippines College of Nursing Alumni Association, Inc., Outstanding Nurse in the Field of Education, Training, and Research conferred by the National League of Philippine Government Nurses.
The UPINHF Awards & Citations Committee and the Board of Directors are truly proud of Dean Tejero’s excellent achievements in advancing nursing practices and of her incredible leadership as a UP Nurse at both the national and international arenas—they unanimously chose Dr. Lourdes Marie Sequerra Tejero as the recipient of the UPINHF 2017 International Nurse Award. She gives prestige to her alma mater and her country. Dr. Tejero is highly deserving of this award.
Congratulations!