Beebe names Nursing Excellence Awards Recipients

Beebe Healthcare has announced the 2017 recipients of Nursing Excellence Awards. Beebe's Nurses Celebrating Nurses Committee hosted the awards ceremony May 9 at Sussex Pines Country Club in Georgetown.

Nurses are the lifeblood of a healthcare system in that they have the unique opportunity to touch patients at every level of care.

"Beebe Healthcare is proud to celebrate the role our nurses play in delivering the highest level of quality and patient experience for our patients," said Jeffrey M. Fried, FACHE, president and CEO, Beebe Healthcare. "All of us at Beebe recognize the essential role our nurses play in our care delivery system. They are at the bedside 24 hours a day, caring for patients in their homes, working in the physician offices and other ambulatory settings, and engaging individuals through our Population Health efforts to help them eliminate obstacles that prevent them from becoming more involved and responsible for their own health. We couldn't do what we do each day, caring for our community, without our nurses. Our nurses take great pride in what they do to make Beebe Healthcare the outstanding healthcare system it is today, and we take great pride in their efforts."

More than 40 nurses at Beebe were nominated for awards in six categories. Each application went through a blind scoring process with the final recipient being chosen based on the scoring.

Taryn Zimmerman, RN, CCRN, a member of the ENIT and Intensive Care units, is the recipient of the Bonnie Austin Nursing Leadership Award. In her nomination of Zimmerman, Jill Petrone said, "This nurse is a pillar of nursing in our hospital. She is viewed by nurses in all areas of the hospital as knowledgeable and approachable. She is who you want in your room in an emergent situation. She remains calm, seeks help when appropriate, and encourages nurses to develop confidence in their practice. She takes the time to develop new nurses through the preceptor program, and the nurses that she mentored hold her in the highest regard. By her consistent methods of leading by example, this nurse has set the bar high for nursing excellence in our hospital."

Nicole Santarelli, RN, a member of the WTA-BHEI (Clinical Education) teams, is the recipient of the Constance Bushey Nursing Scholarship Award. In her nomination of Santarelli, Laura Smith said, "She always jumps in to help any of her teammates and is a part of multiple committees. I commend her for specializing in three specialties. Her commitment to nursing and commitment to Beebe is evident in her day-to-day practice."

Lucy Ositko, RN, OCN, of the Tunnell Cancer Center/Oncology Services team, is the recipient of the Eleanor Cordrey Nursing Excellence Award. In her nomination of Ositko, Lisa Henderson said, "She is highly skilled, compassionate, a collaborator, and consistently displays the highest professional standards. Going above and beyond to make sure a patient and their families feel cared for is part of her everyday charm. She works diligently with all of her patients to ensure that each of them understands as much as possible about their diagnosis and treatment plan."

Elizabeth Wilson, BNS, MSN, FNP, of the Tunnell Cancer Center/Oncology Services team, is the recipient of the Holly Rader Advanced Practice Nursing Excellence Award. In her nomination of Wilson, Allison Clobes said, "She has been a phenomenal team member from extern to RN to NP. She is always willing to go the extra mile for each and every one of her patients. She makes sure the patient always directs their own care after knowing all of the information."

Kim Blanch, RN, of the Population Health team, is the recipient of the Professional Mentor Nursing Excellence Award. In her nomination of Blanch, Holly Rader said, "She has an amazing presence that exudes passion and professionalism, inspiring other nurses to follow in her path. The candidate deals with very challenging and medically complex patients on a daily basis and has the ability to connect with each of them. She finds creative ways to help patients live with their chronic illnesses and not let the disease affect their quality of life."

Rebecca Tappan, RN, of the Women's and Children's Services team, is the recipient of the Graduate Nurse Excellence Award. In her nomination of Tappan, Nicole Santarelli said, "She focuses on patient/family-centered care and utilizes best practice standards. She is a true inspiration to not only new graduate nurses, but to all nurses, new and seasoned. I believe she has just begun her nursing endeavor and will go very far in her career to make magnificent changes."