With nearly four decades ofprofessional experience to her credit, Norma Annette Avitua-Ovalle is a provenexpert in the health care industry. Specializing in nursing practices, shebegan her nursing career in high school as a nurse’s assistant while holdingthe role of president of her Health Occupation Students of America chapterduring her senior year. She worked at Methodist Hospital in her early years asan Oncology LVN in 1987. She also worked for the San Antonio State Hospital andState School, where she developed a background in mental health and specialneeds children with intellectual disabilities and dual diagnosis.
Ms. Avitua-Ovalle went on to workin the private industry with special needs children in community group homes,where she became a program nurse manager working closely with the TexasDepartment of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Once she became a registerednurse, she specialized in surgical ICU and as an employee health coordinatorand GI Lab procedure nurse. She found her best work as a nurse administratorfor the Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio, Texas, since 2000. She alsoworked as a trauma nurse manager for University Hospital, a level-one traumacenter in San Antonio, Texas, from 2017 to 2021.
Prior to her current appointments,Ms. Avitua-Ovalle accrued a wealth of experience by honorably serving in theUnited States Army for 10 years. She attended basic training at Ft. Jackson,South Carolina, stationed at Ft. Sam Houston for advanced training as a combatmedic and advanced to St. Phillips College while on active duty, earning herlicensed vocational nurse in 1987. She received the Army Commendation Medal in1992, is an Operation Desert Storm veteran and was honorably discharged as astaff sergeant from the United States Army Reserves. Ms. Avitua-Ovalle servedat Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Ft. Bliss, Soto Cano Air Base and LandstuhlRegional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. She returned to Ready Reservestatus with 94th General Hospital, 807th Medical Brigade,Detachment at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, where she resides with herfamily.
Ms. Avitua-Ovalle pursued a formaleducation, beginning with an Associate of Applied Science from San AntonioCollege in 2008. She then attended The University of Texas at Arlington, whereshe earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014. She subsequently continuedher studies at Our Lady of the Lake University, where she earned a Master ofBusiness Administration in health care management in 2018, and where she isexpected to graduate with a PhD in business and leadership in December 2023. Inaddition to her academic credentials, Ms. Avitua-Ovalle completed a chiefnursing officer session via the CNO Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses in 2022.
To remain abreast of developmentsin her industry, Ms. Avitua-Ovalle maintains membership with the AmericanNurses Association, the Texas Nurses Association, with whom she serves assecretary for District 8, and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses asthe president of the San Antonio chapter and chair of the CommunicationEngagement Committee. To commemorate her accomplishments, as well as her provenmilitary record, she has been recognized with numerous accolades, including theRuth Stewart Nurse Imagemaker Award in 2022, third place recipient of the NAHN2022 Ambassador Award in 2022, and nominated among the Best 25 Nurses ofSouth-Central Texas in December 2022. She is also an ambassador with SNOWCompany on NASH and liver disease to increase awareness among the Latinopopulation, through which she has attended fireside chats, University HealthSystem-Wear the Gown and was a guest speaker at the Third Annual Walk againstLiver Disease in 2019. On July 14, 2022, she was selected for MARQUIS WHO’S WHOTOP NURSES and on August 9, 2022, she was also recognized for Excellence inNursing and Administration. Most recent she was honored with the Women ofEmpowerment Award 2023 by Professional Organization of Women of Excellence.
Ms. Avitua-Ovalle attributes hersuccess to her passion for supporting others, especially her patients andcolleagues. She is especially proud of her ability to care for others as anhonest and authentic nurse. In the coming year, she looks forward to completingthe OLLU Doctorate program and a Master of Science in Nursing in NursingExecutive Leadership Program through Walden University Tempo graduate onlineprogram. She is motivated to develop an authentic leadership nurse program formiddle managers and a career in academia as a nurse researcher toward a nurseleadership module focused on helping nurse managers and nurse executives tobecome authentic nurse leaders in their field.
