Valley State Prison’s new Chief Nurse Executive Alicia Garcia-Cisneros is an example of the American Dream. As the daughter of Hispanic migrant agricultural workers, her success is the result of determination, hard work and perseverance.
Beginning as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Licensed Vocational Nurse, she eventually became a Registered Nurse (RN). While volunteering at a community hospital, working diligently to further her nursing career, her instructor asked about her aspirations. Without hesitation, Garcia-Cisneros declared she wanted to earn her doctorate. She clung to that dream, and today, she stands as a Doctor in Nursing.
In early 2023, she joined CDCR at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. By June of the same year, she transferred to Valley State Prison, where she is deeply involved with the Peer Support Specialist Program.
“This program empowers our residents as specialists, drawing from their ‘lived experiences’ to attain certification as Peer Support Specialists. They extend invaluable assistance to those grappling with mental health challenges, psychological trauma, or substance abuse. The PSSP, led by certified individuals intimately familiar with these struggles, imparts a depth of understanding that formal training alone cannot replicate,” she said.
Nursing offers meaning, purpose
Her father, at age 17, came to the United States as a migrant. Along with her mother, they worked in the tomato fields.
She said the idea of college was farfetched so family conversations about the future consisted of agricultural or service-oriented careers.
As the years went on, she settled on wanting to become a nurse. For a decade she pursued her education in the nursing field. During the last semester of school to become a registered nurse, she was working in the stage IV cancer oncology unit when she recognized a familiar face — the instructor who asked her about her long-term goals.
“(This was someone) who at one point had guided me and encouraged me to continue and move forward in my life during a time when I needed it most,” Dr. Garcia said. Now her former instructor was a patient.
“I cared for her with such commitment, managed her pain as she lay during her last phase of life with such disease as she prepared for her transition. As my shift ended, her second daughter arrived. At that moment prior to my departure, I shared my story of how their mother was a former teacher of mine, how she helped me along on my journey years ago and that now here I was 10 years later taking care of her. I held Ms. Dufala’s hand and thanked her as the room was filled with emotions and feelings.”
That was the moment that validated her choice, knowing this is what she was meant to do with her life.
Peer Support Specialist Program at Valley State Prison
(Related: Read a previously story about the program)
“Valley State Prison is such a wonderful institution. What makes our institution stand out from rest is that our staff are very personable, friendly, and willing to go above and beyond. Here you are always greeted with a smile, courtesy, and respect. Our medical and nursing team have such a great relationship with custody which allows us to be more streamlined and connected,” she said.
“Being connected in our purpose and mission provides for better patient care outcomes. Our institution is often identified as one of the leaders in piloting new programs and initiatives. We are an institution that is an early adopter and shape shifter of the California Model where the goal is to build safer communities through rehabilitation, education, restorative justice, and reentry of our residents back to the community.”
Certified Caritas Coach
Garcia-Cisneros is a certified Caritas Coach trained in the Caritas processes aligned to the human caring theory developed by nursing theorist Dr. Jean Watson.
The Caritas processes are specific caring behaviors and competencies that nurses and other healthcare professionals can integrate into their practice and leadership practice to promote a caring and healing environment.
“A Caritas Coach is someone who can facilitate the integration of these processes into their daily work. The term Caritas itself is derived from the Latin word ‘charity’ or unconditional love. I integrate all Caritas processes into my daily routine by cultivating loving presence, being authentically present, practicing kindness, equanimity, and fostering a trusting and supportive environment to support a healing and caring environment to nurses and staff. I am passionate about Caring Science and have incorporated it to my daily routine. Each day I practice by reminding myself of three things I am grateful for,” she said.
Collaboration within the prison
According to Dr. Garcia-Cisneros, developing nursing protocols is a complex and critical process. Creating standardized procedures and guidelines help ensure consistent, evidenced-based, high-quality care.
“For me, it is important to include stakeholders, frontline staff, physicians, and administrators. I like to engage and conduct a literature review to evaluate what the evidence is saying prior to making any changes,” she said. “(This way we) ensure protocols align with what the current evidence is saying and align with advancements in healthcare. I also like to create a multidisciplinary team or committee with frontline nurses in the specific area to facilitate open communication.”
She admires the work nurses do in the institutions.
“Our frontline nurses work the process every day and can provide the most essential feedback to any changes. I think by bringing in our nursing teams to help drive decisions allows them to make the process their own. I’ve seen this concept come to life before in my 20 years of leadership. It gives me so much joy to see nursing as the pioneers to advocacy and change in the profession,” she said.
Listening to everyone, especially those doing the work, is critical to making fully informed decisions, she points out.
“Our Shared Governance committee is a perfect example. Leadership is no longer the days of a top-down structure to drive change. It is bringing the change agents to the table for perspective and insight as experts to drive change. I’ve always believed there is an inseparable link between nurses and patient care outcomes. Therefore, it’s imperative for nursing to have a seat at the table for decision making,” Dr. Garcia-Cisneros said.
Future goals
“I look to becoming a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and receive my credential in this area. I look forward to continuing in executive nursing leadership and speaking on public forums for nursing and best practices. Valley State Prison has been such a wonderful experience,” she said.
Story by Viorel Vintila, Psychiatric Technician
Valley State Prison