NIAGARA, ON – Last night, more than 200 nurses gathered at Club Italia to be honoured at the Niagara Health System’s annual Nursing Dinner as 10 Nursing Awards of Excellence were given out. To mark Nursing Week from May 11 to 17, each year NHS nurses nominate their peers for the awards. This year, NHS’s Nursing Professional Development Council selected the winners from a field of 31 nominations.
“I’m new to Niagara Health and I’m very pleased to see this celebration of National Nursing Week, which is a time we set aside to honour the nursing profession,” says Sue Matthews, Chief Nursing Executive since January. “I congratulate all the nominees this year. I know the selection committee had a difficult time choosing from the excellence nominees. It was very moving to read what nurses were submitting to nominate their peers. The nominations demonstrate the enormous level of respect they have for each other and the huge impact those nurses have on patients’ lives.”
The following RNs and RPNs have been recognized by their peers with Nursing Awards of Excellence.
Nursing Award for Excellence in Direct Care – One selected per site
- Douglas Memorial Site – Bev Ashton, RN, Medicine
- Greater Niagara General Site – Charity Gilmore, RN, Emergency
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Site – Sally Weber, RPN, Medicine
- Ontario Street Site – Cindy Bryson, RN, Hemodialysis
- Port Colborne Site – Dianna Concessi, RPN, Medicine
- St. Catharines General Site – Julie Moscher, RN, Outpatient Oncology
- Welland Site – Judy Dean, RN, Hemodialysis
Baxter Corp. Education Awards – One RN and one RPN selected to receive $500 each to further their education
- Janet Heywood, RN, Ontario Street Site Day Surgery
- Robin MacAulay, RPN, Greater Niagara General Site Maternal/Child
Nursing Leadership Award – One Clinical Manager selected
- Jeanette Dempster, Clinical Manager Mental Health, St. Catharines General Site
“Nurses make up 43 per cent of our staff and it is impossible to list all of the important contributions they make as dedicated members of our health-care team,” comments President and CEO Debbie Sevenpifer. “The compassion, professionalism and respect they show day in and day out speak volumes about their commitment to quality patient care. I congratulate all 31of the nominees for being chosen by their colleagues this year.”
Nursing Week is a national celebration of the dedication of nurses. The NHS holds a variety of recognition events for its 1,800 RNs and RPNs during the week, including a Nursing Dinner and Trivia Night, Celebration Teas at each of the seven sites and Nursing Excellence Awards.
To attend or for more information, contact:
Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca
