UofL honors remarkable nurses at 4th-annual Nightingale Awards

They’ve made their marks across the state, from addressing the needs of drug-addicted pregnant women to bringing health education and care to a remote Mennonite community.

Six outstanding nurses who have excelled in providing patient care, impacted the profession of nursing and improved the health of Kentuckians have been chosen to receive the fourth-annual University of Louisville School of Nursing Florence Nightingale Awards in Nursing.  

The winners will be celebrated on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. A reception will start at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and the awards program at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and can be ordered online. Proceeds support the UofL School of Nursing and a portion of the ticket purchase is tax deductible. For more information about the event, call 502-852-5825.

The 2017 Nightingale Awards recipients are:

Kristin Ashford, Ph.D., W.H.N.P.-B.C., F.A.A.N., and Gwen Moreland, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.-B.C. – Ashford, associate dean of undergraduate faculty & interprofessional education affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, and Moreland, assistant chief nurse executive at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, developed PATHways (Perinatal Assistance and Treatment Home) to address the needs 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 group counseling and develop relationships with peers and health care providers before and after their babies are born. As a result, UK HealthCare has reduced the average intensive care stay for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome from 29 to 23 days, with the average infant stay for moms in the PATHways program at 5.8 days.

Mary Beth Hurley, R.N., A.S.N. – Hurley has dedicated her career and personal life to improving the lives of low-income families in Owensboro. She goes beyond her duties as a nurse at Hager Preschool to mentor young mothers, accompany children to dental surgeries and check on students during weekends and school breaks. The Mary Beth Hurley Medical Trust Fund was established to provide funding for Hager Preschool students’ medical, dental and vision services. She collaborates with the UofL School of Nursing bachelor of science in nursing degree program in Owensboro to coordinate students’ clinical observations of the school nurse role.

Susan Jones, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.E., A.N.E.F. – 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 a monthly visit with interdisciplinary students and faculty to present culturally sensitive health education and provide clinical services to the Old Order Mennonite community in south central Kentucky. In 1992, she led the formation of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded 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.

Linda Weston Kramer Tuttle, M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N.-K., S.C.R.N. – At Norton Brownsboro Hospital, 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, B.S.N., R.N. – 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. Wright was an inaugural member of the Kentucky Trauma Advisory Committee, which she serves as a trauma expert to guide quality, education and injury prevention initiatives.

Honorable mentions are Megan Boone, M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., nurse consultant at Norton Children’s Hospital Just for Kids Critical Care Center, and Rhonda Scott, M.S.N., R.N., M.S.A., health promotion disease prevention program manager at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center.

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