Outstanding Nurses 2018
This year marks the seventh year of Outstanding Nurses Awards. As in years past, we received an impressive number of nurse nominations from colleagues, supervisors, patients, and families of patients who shared stories of exceptional care giving, commitment, and professionalism. The result is the large, diverse, and truly outstanding pool of finalists below.
Many thanks to this year’s expert judges who dedicated significant time to carefully review all nominations received. They include Faith C. Broman, RN, MAHS, CCRN-K, Nurse Manager ICU/Critical Care Float Pool/ Rapid Response Team, Minneapolis VA Health Care System; Monica Cook, RN, BSN, OCN, Minnesota Oncology—St. Paul; Sandra Hoffman, MS RNC-EFM, Clinical Practice Coordinator-Master’s, The Mother Baby Center of Abbott Northwestern and Children’s Minnesota; and Judith M. Pechacek, DNP, RN, CENP, Clinical Associate Professor, & Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program, University of Minnesota School of Nursing. We greatly appreciate their commitment to the task and the serious consideration they gave each submission.
Nominations were assessed on a seven-point rubric that included: professionalism, interaction with patients and families, credentials and experience, initiative and commitment, impact on an organization, leadership, and an "it" factor exemplifying kindness, compassion, and empathy. Additional weight was given to those who received multiple nominations and to those nominated by their patients or their patients’ families.
The stories of exceptionalism included in these nominations celebrate the wealth of excellence that exists in our health care community and the impressive variety of highly skilled nurses working within and across systems, disciplines, patient populations, and health care sectors. We are delighted to share these finalists—the top nurses in the Twin Cities—with you.
Save the Date! Outstanding Nurses Award winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 7th, at 6:30 pm, at Edina Country Club. Invites to finalists and nominators will be sent soon.
For any questions or comments regarding this list, please contact OutstandingNurses@mspmag.com.
OUTSTANDING NURSES AWARDS FINALISTS 2018
Administrative Leadership
- Karen Brandl, Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus
- Mari Holt, Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus
- Jennifer Hood, Fairview Southdale – Hospital
- Steven Omodt, Hennepin Healthcare
- Teresa Tungseth, Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Advanced Practice
- Marie Cook, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Rachel Gaynor-Horejsi, Allina Senior Health
- N. Holly Melroe, Hennepin Healthcare
- Barbara Slotsve, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Cancer Care
- Terry Devine, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Jill May, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Farah Olson, Minnesota Oncology
Children’s Health
- Jennifer Bradley, M Health Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic
- Chanon Ridore, Hennepin Healthcare
- Lindsay Schipper, Children’s Minnesota
- Jill Wall, Pediatric Home Service
Clinic Setting
- Jennifer Bradley, M Health Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic
- Jolyn Brakke Johnson, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Peg Demmer, Metropolitan Heart and Vascular Institute
- Amy Driscoll, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Jacqueline Goettl, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Lisa Highley, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Rebecca Indahl, Primary Clinic, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Janyce Majkozak, Children’s Minnesota McNelly Diabetes Center
- Hope Robinson, Fairview University Children’s Clinic
Educator
- Jocelyn Bessette-Gorlin, Children’s Minnesota
- Joanne Donnelly, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Connie White Delaney, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
Emergency Care
- Kathleen Koivisto, Life Link III
- Melissa Moe, Fairview Ridges
- Rachel Onwuachi, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Hospice
- Katherine T. Rose, Wedum Hospice House
- Marcia Weidenbacher, NC Little Memorial Hospice
Hospital Setting
- Tara Andrus, Children’s Minnesota
- Kelly Berg, Children’s Minnesota
- Mary Kielty, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Annette Klein, United Hospital
- Lynn Mandle Usem, Children’s Minnesota
- Morganna Moon, Mercy Hospital
- Mary Murphy Krause, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Queen Obasi, United Hospital
- Julie Ohara, Children’s Minnesota
- Leah Seiberlich, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Emily Spillman, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Rose Swanson, St. Francis Regional Medical Center
- Karine Zakroczymski, Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus
Informatics
- Nicole Virnig, CentraCare Health Home Care and Hospice
- Connie White Delany, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
Intensive Care
- Lynn Mandle Usem, Children’s Minnesota
- Julie Ohara, Children’s Minnesota
- Barbara Slotsve, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Natalie Wilson, Children’s Minnesota
Mental Health
- Jolyn Brakke-Johnson, Allina Health Mental Health Abbott Northwestern
- Diane McCord, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Public Health
- Kristin Lau, Ramsey County Public Health Nurse
- Marcia Rich, Allina Health
Researcher
- Ann Garwick, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
- Debra Sisler, St. Francis Regional Medical Center
Rising Star
- Courtney Kenefick, Children’s Minnesota
- Dmytro Koshevy, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
- Cam Nguyen, Pediatric Home Service
- Emily Novak, Pediatric Home Service
- Kayla Warner, Smiley’s Family Medicine Clinic
Women’s Health
- Bethany Beattie, Mother Baby Center at United Hospital/Children’s Minnesota
- Annette Klein, United Hospital
- Renie Smith, Allina’s Women’s Health Clinic, Eagan
Lifetime Achievement
- Amy Driscoll, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
- Sharon Eriksen, Neurosurgical Associates
- Karen Jackson, Children’s Minnesota
- Anne Meyer-Ruppel, Allina Clinic Northfield
- Queen Obasi, United Hospital
- Julie Wagner, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
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