Submit an essay of no more than 400 words about how a registered nurse has excelled in providing patient care, impacted the profession of nursing and/or improved the health of people in the region. Nominees must have a registered nurse license in Kentucky or Indiana.

until 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10.

Winners will receive a cash prize and be celebrated at an awards dinner on Nov. 8.

For more information, email Karen Rose or call 502-852-8300.

To honor the impactful work of registered nurses, the����is accepting nominations for the fifth annual UofL Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing.

Submit an essay online of 400 words or less on how a registered nurse has excelled in providing patient care, impacted the profession of nursing and/or improved the overall health of people in the region. Nominees should have a current registered nurse license in Kentucky or Indiana.

Winners will receive a cash award and be honored at a dinner on Nov. 8 at the Mellwood Arts Center.

The deadline to nominate is Sept. 10.��.

For more information, contact Karen Rose via email��or 502-852-8300.

Inspired by modern nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, the event recognizes nurses who have excelled in providing patient care and impacted the nursing profession.

the winners’ acceptance speeches and view from the event.

Recipients of the 2017 Nightingale Awards:

Kristin Ashford, associate dean of undergraduate faculty & interprofessional education affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, and��Gwen Moreland, assistant chief nurse executive at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, developed PATHways (Perinatal Assistance and Treatment Home) to improve the health of opioid-addicted pregnant women.��Using a group model with peer-support and life skills training, the program empowers women to take an active role in their pregnancy, participate in counseling and develop relationships with health care providers before and after their babies are born.��

Mary Beth Hurley goes beyond her duties as a nurse at Hager Preschool in Owensboro to help impoverished families by accompanying children to dental surgeries, checking on students during weekends and school breaks, and providing funding for medical costs. The Mary Beth Hurley Medical Trust Fund was established to pay for Hager Preschool students’ medical, dental and vision services.

Susan Jones has championed health care for rural populations and underserved areas. In her role at Western Kentucky University’s Institute for Rural Health, Jones coordinates monthly visits where interdisciplinary students and faculty present health education and provide clinical services to the Old Order Mennonite community in south central Kentucky. In 1992, she helped create the Kentucky Partnership for Farm Health and Safety, a nonprofit organization that has established multiple community partnerships to promote health and safety for farmers and their families.

At Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Linda Weston Kramer Tuttle works in the trenches as a critical care nurse and provides education and mentorship to nurses new to critical care. She was instrumental in developing “The Partners in Critical Care ����ֱ��,” a program that brings a network of nurse educators from several hospitals together and allows them to pool resources.��

Carol Wright has dedicated her career to improving care for trauma patients, especially children who have suffered abuse. Wright, trauma program manager and pediatric trauma coordinator at UK HealthCare, helped develop a comprehensive evaluation process for non-accidental trauma in pediatric patients, transforming the way these cases are identified and managed.��

Six outstanding nurses who have excelled in providing patient care, impacted the profession of nursing and improved the health of Kentuckians have been chosen to receive the 4th annual University of Louisville School of Nursing Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing.

The 2017 Nightingale Awards recipients are:

Kristin Ashford, PhD, WHNP-BC, FAAN, and��Gwen Moreland, DNP, RN, NE-BC. Ashford, associate dean of undergraduate faculty and interprofessional education affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, and Moreland, assistant chief nurse executive at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, developed PATHways (Perinatal Assistance and Treatment Home) to address the needs of opioid-addicted pregnant women. Using a group model with peer-support and life skills training, the program empowers women to take an active role in their pregnancy, participate in group counseling and develop relationships with peers and health care providers before and after their babies are born. As a result, UK HealthCare has reduced the average intensive care stay for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome from 29 to 23 days, with the average infant stay for moms in the PATHways program at 5.8 days.

Mary Beth Hurley, RN, ASN. Hurley has dedicated her career and personal life to improving the lives of low-income families in Owensboro. She goes beyond her duties as a nurse at Hager Preschool to mentor young mothers, accompany children to dental surgeries and check on students during weekends and school breaks. The Mary Beth Hurley Medical Trust Fund was established to provide funding for Hager Preschool students’ medical, dental and vision services. She collaborates with the UofL School of Nursing bachelor of science in nursing degree program in Owensboro to coordinate students’ clinical observations of the school nurse role.

Susan Jones, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF. Jones has championed health care for rural populations and underserved areas. In her role at Western Kentucky University’s Institute for Rural Health, Jones coordinates a monthly visit with interdisciplinary students and faculty to present culturally sensitive health education and provide clinical services to the Old Order Mennonite community in south central Kentucky. In 1992, she led the formation of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded Kentucky Partnership for Farm Health and Safety, a nonprofit organization that has established multiple community partnerships to promote health and safety for farmers and their families.

Linda Weston Kramer Tuttle, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, SCRN. At Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Tuttle works in the trenches as a critical care nurse and provides education and mentorship to nurses new to critical care. She was instrumental in developing “The Partners in Critical Care ����ֱ��,” a program that brings a network of nurse educators from several hospitals together and allows them to pool resources.��

Carol Wright, BSN, RN. Wright has dedicated her career to improving care for trauma patients, especially children who have suffered abuse. Wright, trauma program manager and pediatric trauma coordinator at UK HealthCare, helped develop a comprehensive evaluation process for non-accidental trauma in pediatric patients, transforming the way these cases are identified and managed. Wright was an inaugural member of the Kentucky Trauma Advisory Committee, where she serves as a trauma expert to guide quality, education and injury prevention initiatives.

Honorable mentions are Megan Boone, MSN, RN, CCRN, nurse consultant at Norton Children’s Hospital Just for Kids Critical Care Center, and Rhonda Scott, MSN, RN, MSA, health promotion disease prevention program manager at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center.

The winners will be celebrated on Nov. 2, at the Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. A reception will start at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and the awards program at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and can be ordered��. Proceeds support the UofL School of Nursing and a portion of the ticket purchase is tax deductible.��

Six people from myriad facets within nursing were honored for impacting the lives of patients, improving health outcomes, elevating the profession of nursing and inspiring others to pursue nursing as a career.

Winners of the 2016 Nightingale Awards include:

• Hilary Deskins, BSN, RN, manager of Cancer Prevention Services at KentuckyOne Health.
• Anthony Frazier, BSN, RN, patient care manager at Amedysis Hospice in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
• Mimi McKay, EdD, MSN, PMHNP-BC, associate professor at Indiana University Southeast School of Nursing.
• Emily Neal, BSN, RN, SANE, forensic nurse specialist at the University of Louisville Kosair Charities Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine.
• Deborah Reed, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN, University of Kentucky College of Nursing Distinguished Service Professor and Good Samaritan Endowed Chair.
• Laura Ware, RN, ADN, nurse at the Crestview Center in Shelbyville.

Honorable Mentions went to:��

• Stephanie Cline, RN, pediatric palliative nurse at Children’s Hospital.
• Rebecca Gesler, EdD, MSN, RN, Spalding University School of Nursing associate professor.
• Alyce Goodman-Abraham, APRN, WHNP, nurse practitioner at the Pelvic Pain Regional Specialty Center at Jewish Hospital Medical Center East.
• Susan Sherman, RN, MAT, CHPN, community director of Hosparus Inpatient Care Center.
• Jaime Walker, MSN, RN, MLDE, CDE, CPN, diabetes educator at Children’s Hospital.
• Marlot Wigginton, RN, retired nurse from Norton Healthcare critical care.

to view photos from the Nightingale Awards dinner.

The winners, as well as six honorable mentions and nearly 80 other nominees, will be recognized at the on Nov. 3 at the Mellwood Arts Center.

“We are very proud to honor six extremely talented and devoted registered nurses from Kentucky and Southern Indiana who have diligently and compassionately served patients across the lifespan,” said Marcia J. Hern, EdD, CNS, RN, UofL School of Nursing dean. “Any one of us would want such a nurse to be there for us, our family and our friends in times of need.”

The six honorees are:

Hilary Deskins, BSN, RN, is manager of Cancer Prevention Services at KentuckyOne Health. Deskins oversees KentuckyOne Health’s lung cancer screening program, one of the largest in the nation, as well as the colon cancer screening program. She developed and initiated patient educational strategies for cancer screenings and works with community organizations to promote screening. Deskins also has made impacts nationally. In October 2015, she advocated the importance of lung cancer screening to members of the U.S. Congress. Deskins and KentuckyOne Health were recognized by national advocacy group Lung Cancer Alliance as leaders in early detection and treatment of the disease.

Anthony Frazier, BSN, RN, worked as a chef for several years before deciding at the age of 45 to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He most recently worked as a patient care manager at Amedysis Hospice in Jeffersonville, Indiana, caring for end-of-life patients. He actively volunteers at the Wayside Christian Mission, serving Louisville’s homeless population by working with men in the workforce development program. Frazier has battled a rare soft-tissue cancer in his leg and eventually had to have the leg amputated. He then had severe heart failure and is awaiting a heart transplant. Frazier’s health challenges, however, have not deterred his social work.

Mimi McKay, EdD, MSN, PMHNP-BC, is an associate professor at Indiana University Southeast School of Nursing, who previously served as dean of the school, and has been a psychiatric nurse practitioner for the past 26 years. In addition to educating nursing students, McKay works as an advanced practice nurse at Boys & Girls Haven, a nonprofit organization that serves abandoned, abused and neglected children. Her work with abused and sexually assaulted women and children through the partnership she started with the Center for Women and Families and IU Southeast has had lasting impacts for victims and nursing students.

Emily Neal, BSN, RN, SANE, is a forensic nurse specialist at the University of Louisville Kosair Charities Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine. Neal evaluates children who are suspected victims of abuse and neglect and ensures that perpetrators of abuse are prosecuted via legal testimony. In doing so, victims are removed from abusive or neglectful situations and their abusers are put to justice. Neal teaches parents about stress coping techniques that prevent abuse and educates medical and nursing students on identifying even minute abuse indicators. She is an appointed member of the Kentucky Children’s Justice Act Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary committee that develops policy and education aimed at improving outcomes for children.

Deborah Reed, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN, University of Kentucky College of Nursing Distinguished Service Professor and Good Samaritan Endowed Chair, has raised awareness about on-the-job health risks that farmers face. Reed created the Farm Theater Dinner intervention to inspire farmers to think about occupational health, safety and disease prevention on the farm. Her research has shown that health lectures and pamphlets have little impact on farmers, who don’t have time in their demanding work schedules to attend educational meetings. The dinners provide a farmer-centered approach for families to share stories and find solutions for health and safety. Reed founded the UK College of Nursing Occupational Health Nurse PhD Program.

Laura Ware, RN, ADN, works at the Crestview Center in Shelbyville where she treats short and long-term care patients and educates and counsels families about making critical treatment decisions. When a person enters a residential nursing facility, it can be a lonely and frightening experience for the patient and the family. Often in these cases, patients have lost a spouse or partner, careers have ended and they have lost their independence. Ware comforts these patients when they are scared and lonely, reassuring them with a calm demeanor and excellent care. ��

Honorable Mentions:

Stephanie Cline, RN, pediatric palliative nurse at Children’s Hospital.

Rebecca Gesler, EdD, MSN, RN, Spalding University School of Nursing associate professor.

Alyce Goodman-Abraham, APRN, WHNP, nurse practitioner at the Pelvic Pain Regional Specialty Center at Jewish Hospital Medical Center East.

Susan Sherman, RN, MAT, CHPN, community director of the Hosparus Inpatient Care Center.

Jaime Walker, MSN, RN, MLDE, CDE, CPN, diabetes educator at Children’s Hospital.

Marlot Wigginton, RN, retired nurse from Norton Healthcare critical care.

Each of the six winners will receive a cash award and commemorative plaque at the University of Louisville School of Nursing Florence Nightingale Awards on Nov. 3 at the Mellwood Arts Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 6:45 p.m. More information��about individual tickets and table sponsorships is .��

The awards honor exceptional nurses who have followed in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

To nominate a nurse, submit an essay of no more than 200 words about how a registered nurse meets at least one of the following categories:

• Impacted patients through excellent and compassionate nursing care;
• Improved health outcomes in a population or in the community;
• Elevated the nursing profession through teaching, research and/or policy development;
• Inspired others to consider nursing as a career.

. The nomination deadline is Sept. 8.

Winners will receive a cash prize and commemorative plaque at the Nightingale Awards dinner 5:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Mellwood Arts Center. .