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The Nightingale Awards Gala
Photos of the recent 2009 Nightingale Gala are now available (both 2009 and 2008). Click here to view the event! A report on the event will be posted at a later date.
The 23rd annual Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Human Caring, hosted by the Colorado Nurses Foundation (CNF), was held Saturday, May 10, 2008 at the Renaissance Denver Hotel with 550 in attendance. The evening began with a gala Silent Auction of over 200 items. During the reception and silent auction, Robert L. Tate, music educator and professional musician provided music on the grand piano. The program started at 7 pm with Greetings from Sara Jarrett, President of the Colorado Nurses Foundation and a Welcome from Judie Walker, Chair of the Event. Teri Fouts, 2007 Nightingale Recipient, gave the Invocation prior to the dinner of Shitake Crusted Filet with a Burgundy Demi and Sundried Crusted Salmon with Garlic Bechemel. Kim Christiansen, 9NEWS, returned as master of ceremonies and introduced each of the 15 finalists as they received their crystal award. Of the fifteen 2008 Finalists, eight practice in direct patient care provider roles and seven in managerial or administrative roles. They have a combined total of 401 years in nursing practice! Diane Sieg, RN, Certified Lifestyle Counselor gave the presentation “Stop Living Life Like an Emergency”. As an experienced Emergency Department nurse, and nationally known speaker, Diane’s presentation uses survival skills and life lessons to keep people out of the emergency room of life.
In addition to the six recipients, the 2008 Nightingale Finalists include Brene Belew-LaDue, Public Health Director, Grand County Public Health Nursing Service, Hot Sulphur Springs; Alison H. Bowers, Staff Nurse, Nursing Home Care Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver; Elaine Corder, Director of Access, Hospital Integration, Palliative Care and Professional Relations, Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, Grand Junction; Sheryl L. Ehrman, Family Nurse Practitioner, Johnstown Family Practice, LLC, Johnstown; Cynthia Rae Elger, Clinical Nurse Manager, NSICU and TSICU, St. Anthony Central Hospital, Denver; Carolyn Fricke, Clinical Manager, Home Hospice, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Wheat Ridge; Carol Gregory, Chief Nursing Officer, The Medical Center of Aurora, Aurora; Chad Hess, Nursing Services Manager, Pueblo Community Health Center, Pueblo; Dawn M. James, State Nursing Consultant, Office of Local Liaison, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver. The Nightingale Event was established in 1985 as a tribute to the professional excellence of Colorado’s registered nurses. The Nightingale Award was conceived to honor nurses whose contributions to human caring have gone beyond the cutting edge of the nursing profession. Nominations of nurses for the Nightingale Award are solicited throughout the state in the fall of each year through the Colorado Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) System and the Colorado Springs Committee. After the nominations have closed, the finalist selection process begins. The AHECs select their own finalists based on the number of nominations from their area of the state. This insures fair representation of finalists across the state. The State Selection Committee, consisting of delegates from each area, selects the six recipients from the fifteen finalists. Two hundred ninety five nurses throughout the state of Colorado were nominated for the 2008 award. Each AHEC and Colorado Springs hosted a regional event where nominees were recognized prior to the May 10 event. As the primary fund-raiser for the Colorado Nurses Foundation, the goal of the event is two-fold: 1) to recognize outstanding Colorado nurses for their excellence in human caring, and 2) to raise funds for scholarships for nursing education in a time when there is a critical shortage of nurses. Including proceeds from last year’s event, the Colorado Nurses Foundation awarded 34 scholarships totaling $48,500 in December 2007. Members of the Steering Committee were: Judie Walker, 2008 Event Chair, Rita Beam,
Mirian Bildner,
Pam Boehm, Judith Burke, Jeanne Caldwell, Vickie Carroll, Vickie Custer, JoAnn Deselms, Tonie Galiz, Sara Jarrett, David Kearns, Pam Kearns, Ann Kelly, Suze Ketchum, Corinne Koehler, Charlotte LeDonne, Shelly Limon, Susan Rossow, Joyce Vernon, Kris Wenzel, and Jo zumBrunnen. Linda Schuyler serves as Nightingale Event Coordinator and Vicki Carroll serves as Silent Auction Coordinator.
Each recipient received
a sculpture of “The Nightingale”, created by Colorado
artist Jan Searle-Kubby.
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