Florence Nightingale Awards to honor nurses

Nurses are essential for health care delivery. Many of us, if not all, know a nurse who has provided excellent care for them or a loved one during a difficult illness or during a joyful event such as the birth of a healthy baby. July 20, 2015

In an effort to recognize the life-changing work of nurses, the University of Louisville School of Nursing is hosting the Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing to honor those who follow in the footsteps of modern nursing founder, Florence Nightingale.The school invites the public to nominate a nurse by submitting a short essay explaining how a registered nurse, employed anywhere in Kentucky or Southern Indiana, has:

Impacted a patient’s or client’s life through excellent and compassionate nursing care
Improved health outcomes in a population or in the community
Elevated the profession of nursing to a higher stature
And/or Inspired others to consider nursing as a professional career

“This is the second year for these prestigious awards,” said Marcia Hern, EdD, CNS, dean and professor, UofL School of Nursing. “We hope to build pride in the profession and honor those in our state and in Southern Indiana who every day or night carry their own light to transform health care and make a difference in the lives of others.” Last year, the Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing Planning Board selected six recipients from across Kentucky and Southern Indiana for the inaugural awards:

Tina A. Clark, RN, BSN - Jefferson County, Ky.
Vivianne Griffiths, MSN, APRN - Jefferson County, Ky.
Carolyn E. McKee, RN, ASN - Clark County, Ind.
Vickie Miracle, RN, MSN, EdD - Jefferson County, Ky.
Justine A. O’Flynn, RN - Jefferson County, Ky.
Al Saylor, RN, BSN - Fayette County, Ky.

Help select the 2015 winners by nominating a registered nurse no later than Sept. 8 at: http://www.UofLalumni.org/nightingale-nominations . Please provide the registered nurse’s name, phone number, and/or email, current place of employment, title, work phone number, and degree of nursing education (optional). Do not give specific patient name or any other identifying information. Nominees and nominators do not need to be UofL alumni or have a UofL connection. Nominations with the above information and a maximum of 600-word essay also will be accepted via email or mail to: Karen.Rose@louisville.edu or UofL School of Nursing, 555 S. Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40292, Attention: Karen Rose. All nominees and the top four - six awardees will be announced in October. Winners receive a $1,000 cash award and commemorative plaque at the Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing reception and dinner on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 at the Mellwood Arts Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. The reception will begin at 5:30p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 6:45p.m. WHAS11 will serve as the media sponsor. For information about individual tickets and table sponsorships, contact Jessica Roth, jessica.roth@louisville.edu, 502-852-6496.

Julie Heflin

Julie oversees digital content for the Office of Communications and Marketing. She began her UofL career on the Health Sciences Center campus in 2007. Prior to this, Julie was a journalist with WFPL (Louisville Public Media), and occasionally filed reports for National Public Radio.