Rowena Mallari-Durand BSN RN CCRN-CSC
Rowena M. Mallari-Durand, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, is a highly accomplished critical care nurse with more than 24 years of experience specializing in cardiothoracic intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, and post-anesthesia cardiac care. She has dedicated her career to providing exceptional care for critically ill cardiac patients while advancing evidence-based nursing practice, mentoring fellow nurses, and advocating for patient safety. Her clinical expertise, leadership, and commitment to excellence have established her as a respected healthcare professional in the field of critical care nursing.
Ms. Mallari-Durand earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Assumption in Pampanga, Philippines, where she graduated with First Honors in Clinical Excellence and consistently achieved Dean's List and Honor Roll recognition. She holds advanced certifications as a Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and Certified Cardiac Surgery (CSC) nurse, along with certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Cardiac Advanced Life Support (CALS), and CITI Training. She is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the New Jersey State Nurses Association, and the Organization of Nurse Leaders in New Jersey.
Since 2000, Ms. Mallari-Durand has served as a Staff Registered Nurse in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, where she provides specialized postoperative care for patients undergoing complex cardiac procedures. She is highly skilled in managing advanced cardiac support technologies, including ECMO, Impella, ventricular assist devices, intra-aortic balloon pumps, continuous renal replacement therapy, and advanced hemodynamic monitoring. Throughout her career, she has also served as a clinical educator, mentor, preceptor, and nursing leader while contributing to quality improvement initiatives focused on reducing hospital-acquired infections, improving postoperative outcomes, and implementing evidence-based clinical practices. Her research and quality improvement projects have been presented at numerous professional conferences and healthcare quality fairs.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to nursing, Ms. Mallari-Durand has received numerous honors, including the DAISY Award, the Marcia Reinfeld & Morton Abraham Samuels Nursing Excellence Award, Employee of the Year recognition, and multiple nominations for the Joi Mann Mentorship Award and the Nursing Leadership Pride & Promise Program. Beyond her clinical practice, she remains committed to community service through volunteer healthcare initiatives in the Philippines, providing maternal health education, immunizations, family planning services, and newborn care education. Through her dedication to compassionate patient care, nursing leadership, research, and professional mentorship, Ms. Mallari-Durand continues to make a meaningful impact on cardiovascular critical care and the nursing profession.
• BSN
• Assumption University
• Philippines
• 1989
• CCRN-CSC
• RN
• BSN
• Daisy Award
• Nursing Excellence Award (received twice
• Mentorship Award
• Employee of the Month
• Operating System Recognition
• AACN
• ANA
• AACN New Jersey Chapter
• Organization of Nursing Leaders in New Jersey
• Hospital community wellness services
• School health and exercise education programs
• Sharing network organ donation campaigns
• Cardiac walk
• Diabetes walk
• Cancer walk
• Church soup kitchen service
Rowena regularly reads professional journals including AACN journals, ANA journals, Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Anesthesia to stay current with evidence-based practices and research. She actively listens to lectures, research presentations, and conferences in her free time to continue her professional development and bring current, proven practices to her clinical work.
Areas of Specialization/Expertise
- Cardiothoracic Intensive Care
- ICU
- Cardiac ICU
- Cardiovascular
- Neuro ICU
- Cath Lab
- Hospital Acquired Associated Infections Committee
- Nursing Quality and Improvement Process Council
- Professional Innovation and Research Council
- Patient Experience Council
- Reward and Recognition Council
- Unit-Based Council
- Patient experience Council, Professional Nursing Informatics Council.
What do you enjoy most about practicing medicine?
What I enjoy most is making a difference not just to the patients, but to the nurses as well. After almost 38 years, you become like a mother to them. I love being able to sit down with patients and really listen to their stories - hearing what they're going through, not just financially, but their physical and psychological aspects of everything. I found that being a listener is incredibly rewarding. When I was young, I loved dealing with our elderly population, always being in the midst of them during conversation. It's rewarding to be able to hear from them. I saw the impact of nursing when I started doing clinical as a student - how the patient responded to the care that we were doing. That's when I knew this is what I meant and want to do. The beauty of being a long-term nurse is that you get to meet different aspects of our diversity of patients and people, and what they're going through in their life.