Outstanding Kentucky nurses celebrated at 4th annual Nightingale Awards

Six nurses who have improved the lives of Kentuckians were honored at the University of Louisville School of Nursing fourth annual Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing last week.

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

Watch the winners' acceptance speeches and view photos 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 Education,” 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.