Photographs by Caitlin Abrams
2019 Outstanding Nurses
Nurses stand on the frontlines of health care—on any given day they may be the one to triage an ER patient, monitor vitals on a premature baby, dress a burn victim’s wound, or administer a cancer patient’s chemotherapy. Just as busy behind the scenes, they also teach future nurses, conduct research, create systems to improve patient care, and manage teams. This year’s Outstanding Nurses do all this and more. Nominated by peers, patients, and families, these nurses were selected from a pool of finalists by a panel of nurse judges. Meet all 17, and see how they improve health care for all of us.
Mary Dunn
Rising Star
Mary Dunn | RN | Behavioral Recovery Outreach Team | Minneapolis VA Health Care System | Years as an RN: 2 (LPN at VA for 7 years)
Sometimes Mary Dunn partners with a dog in her work with patients. It’s not a real dog, but to some of her patients—veterans who are diagnosed with dementia—the interactive robotic dog seems real enough and makes an instant connection. “It’s fascinating to see the effectiveness of various interventions,” she says. “This dog is used as a form of distraction and motivation.”
One of Dunn’s goals is to prepare these veterans for eventual placement in the community. This takes deep commitment and compassion as she builds trust with them. “My goal is to get to know the patient as a person and not by their diagnosis or their behavior,” she says. It also takes creativity to develop beneficial behavioral plans for staff to use when patients are having a difficult time as they prepare for independence.
“The biggest goals of our team are to improve the quality of life of these patients, decrease caregiver burden, decrease the distressed behaviors that they’re experiencing by utilizing non-pharmacological interventions, assist in maintaining long-term placement, and prevent rehospitalization due to behavioral disturbances.”
Dunn’s work doesn’t end on the day of discharge. She’s actively involved in ensuring a comfortable, successful transition and routinely connects with the veterans in the weeks and months that follow. “I want to see patients succeed,” she says.
Frezgi Hiskias
Hospice Care
Frezgi Hiskias | RN | Nursing Supervisor, Case Manager, Hospice/End of Life Care | Our Lady of Peace | Years as an RN: 15
Frezgi Hiskias arrives at work every day with a smile, determined to make a difference. His staff draws inspiration from his gentle, empathetic approach to caring for hospice patients.
Many who don’t know Hiskias would be surprised to discover the unimaginable obstacles he has overcome to realize his calling in the field of nursing. Struck by lightning at age 13 in his home country of Eritrea, in East Africa, he has spent a lifetime and several surgeries trying to recover from his injuries and stem daily chronic pain.
Inspired by the care he received in his recovery, he wanted to become a nurse. After persevering to become an LPN and then RN, he found Our Lady of Peace, a hospice care facility that he says made him the person he is today and taught him about the care a dying person needs and deserves.
His personal experience with pain has also given him a heightened perspective on the challenges his hospice patients and their families face. “I am passionate about delivering the best symptom management possible in order to improve the dying patient’s quality of life and provide comfort to the families,” he says. He is honored to help families better understand what’s involved with hospice care and how they can make the most of the last days they have with their loved one.
Alanna Valadez
Advanced Practice
Alanna Valadez | MBA, APRN, CNP, CWOCN | Manager/Nurse Practitioner for the Wound Ostomy Continence Program Post-Acute Care | M Health Fairview: Bethesda Hospital | Years as an RN: 19
Early in her nursing career, Alanna Valadez encountered hospitalized patients who had notable wounds. “I was fascinated to see how the body heals and how a specialized nurse could help speed up the process with the right knowledge and the use of advanced wound-care dressings,” she says.
Nineteen years later, with several specialty certifications and degrees under her belt, she manages the wound, ostomy, and continence program at Bethesda Hospital. She and her team help patients with complex wounds, ostomies, and fistula conditions, which often require long-term observation and healing before a patient can safely transition to the next level of care.
Given the seriousness of the wounds and the vulnerability to infection, treatment strategies necessitate input from a multidisciplinary care team and often require creativity in treatment management in order to be successful in complex wound healing.
In her role, Valadez says, “I now have the opportunity to help patients by educating others, creating dynamic care plans, being collaborative with the multidisciplinary health care team, and overcoming barriers so patients are knowledgeable and supported when we’re discharging them to home or a transitional care unit.” As passionate as ever about her work and excited for new research and technological advances in the field, she says, “I’m in awe of the human body’s resilience and the individual’s strength.”
Mary Soligny
Hospital Setting
Mary Soligny | RN, BSN | Burn Center | Hennepin Healthcare | Years as an RN: 4
After raising five children and running a business, Mary Soligny was finally able to shift gears and revisit her dream of a career in nursing. Though she had always imagined herself working in labor and delivery, Soligny’s vision changed when her best friend, Minneapolis firefighter Jake LaFerriere, sustained serious burns fighting a house fire. Witnessing firsthand the challenges he faced in the slow healing process and his tremendous will to survive, Soligny realized she had found her calling.
“Supporting burn survivors through almost unimaginable pain and watching them triumph over the daily wound scrubbings and dressing changes is both humbling and deeply rewarding,” she says.
Soligny emanates positivity and genuine empathy and quickly bonds with patients, who often have extended stays. “It is a gift to be the rock when a patient needs one; the pillow they can rest on; their caregiver, advocate, and cheerleader,” she says.
She thrives on the complexity of the field as new treatments emerge. “In the unit we also treat frostbite, road rash, Stevens-Johnson, and necrotizing fasciitis, among others,” she adds. Off the clock, she throws her energy into helping raise money for burn survivors young and old and their families through the nonprofit LaFerriere created, Firefighters for Healing.
Shannon Sharp
Intensive Care
Shannon Sharp | RN | Rapid Response Team Nurse | Minneapolis VA Medical Center | Years as an RN: 19
Shannon Sharp is at her best when the stakes are high. She started her career in the ICU at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and transitioned to the VA’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) in 2008. “I have always enjoyed the fast pace the ICU can bring and love managing the most critical patients,” she says.
As a member of the RRT, she is trained to quickly recognize when a patient may be showing early symptoms of a deteriorating condition that could lead to cardiopulmonary arrest. She then immediately assists in interventions to stabilize that patient and, if needed, transitions the individual to a higher level of care.
A trusted mentor, Sharp makes sure she and her team are ready for emergency situations. “I debrief with staff after stressful events to talk about what we did well and what we could do better next time,” she says.
Sharp has a reputation for being calm, proactive, and confident in intense situations. She fluidly works with her team and other medical professionals while keeping the patient foremost in her mind. “I have always respected those who have served our nation and believe they deserve the very best,” she says.
Susan Eisenbacher
Mental Health
Susan Eisenbacher | RN (recently retired) | Nurse Manager, Mental Health Services | Allina Health Cambridge Medical Center | Years as an RN: 43
On the day Susan Eisenbacher was baptized, her mother whispered in her ear, “You will be a nurse when you grow up.” What’s amazing is her mother only shared this story a few years ago, after Eisenbacher had already enjoyed a fulfilling four-decade nursing career working in the field of mental health. “A guardian angel must have been listening,” Eisenbacher says.
Her career aspirations did indeed start early. “I grew up watching my parents care for my dear mentally handicapped brother,” she says. “I believe people who suffer from mental health issues deserve advocacy and the same patience, kindness, and respect any other patient would receive.”
She has carried this passion into her career, which has included leading an initiative to open two new mental health outpatient programs at the Cambridge Medical Center to improve comprehensive care: one for recently hospitalized patients and another for those with chronic mental health needs who are at risk of hospitalization or need continuing care.
A strong patient advocate, she is equally concerned about her staff. “Work in a mental health setting requires staff to practice good self-care in order to remain balanced and effective in their work,” she says. “I have the honor of working with a staff who are dedicated to providing hope and health for the despondent.”
Kayla Hartman
Cancer Care
Kayla Hartman | RN | Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Gastroenterology, and Nephrology | M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital | Years as an RN: 6.5
Kayla Hartman’s patients amaze her. “The way kids deal with cancer, organ transplants, and other chronic diseases is inspiring,” she says. “They’re getting chemo and playing Candy Land. They are two days out from a kidney transplant and only need Tylenol for pain. We get to take care of some really special kids.”
Though there are difficult days, there’s also progress in her field. “The new drugs and treatments hitting the market are so incredible,” she says. “They are giving me hope that we will someday be able to treat pediatric cancer with much fewer side effects.”
Hartman works as a charge nurse on the night shift. It’s a time when staffing is lighter but also when patient symptoms and needs can rapidly escalate.
The night shift isn’t for everyone, but Hartman has chosen it and made it her goal to strengthen the role of the charge nurse for this important shift. A mentor and leader, she helps her nursing team build skills, resilience, and cohesiveness and fosters stronger bonds with other hospital staff so that when a child needs immediate assistance, she can quickly tap the resources and people she needs.
Susan O’Conner-Von
Nurse Educator
Susan O’Conner-Von | PhD, RN-BC, CNE Associate Professor | University of Minnesota School of Nursing | Years as an RN: More than 40
Dynamic, upbeat, and engaging, Susan O’Conner-Von leaves a lasting impression on her students, who seem to marvel at how she can make even the most complex subjects approachable and meaningful.
With her vast experience as a practicing nurse specializing in pediatric pain management, intensive care, palliative care, and hospice care, she offers students valuable insights into the field. Her roles as a nurse educator, researcher, and nationally recognized leader in her fields of study make O’Conner-Von an even more critical resource for the undergraduate and graduate students she teaches.
“Nurses continue to become more advanced in the world of technology and how it can improve care,” she says. “My hope is that I am inspiring nursing students to not only provide superb technical care but also to deeply consider the humanity of each patient and realize what a gift it is to care for patients when they are most vulnerable.”
O’Conner-Von is motivated by her students. “They have truly shaped the nurse educator that I am today,” she says.
Outside the classroom, she has also touched many lives in the last 16 years through her volunteer work in hospice care. Beyond volunteering for several Twin Cities organizations, she has also pioneered the use of dogs (including her own) in hospice therapy.
Mary Patricia Smith
Children’s Health
Mary Patricia Smith | BSN, PHN, RN, LSN | Licensed School Nurse in Early Childhood Special Education | Osseo Area Schools | Years as an RN: 40
School nurses are on the frontline when it comes to children’s health. “We are an ER without the ER,” says Mary Pat Smith, who works with young children with varying abilities in Osseo Area Schools. “We need to know our skills as nurses, but we always need to come to work with a positive, calm, can-do attitude every day for our students.”
With her bright smile and playful enthusiasm, it’s easy to see why she is a hit with the kids, but it’s her advocacy for and commitment to children with special needs that makes her a tireless resource for parents and colleagues.
Inspired by the learning challenges her own daughter has faced, Smith says, “I wanted to do my part to help other parents advocate for their children with special needs.”
As a nurse in early childhood special education for the last 18 years, she sees herself as a gatekeeper for students’ health needs. “It gives me the ability to prioritize their needs within the educational model and attempt to have them achieve their highest functional level,” she says.
“I have witnessed small children achieve miracles. Some come into our program unable to walk or talk. Then upon entering kindergarten, they are walking, talking, smiling, and ready to learn.”
Christine Majeski
Nurse Researcher
Christine Majeski | RN, CCRC | Clinical Research Manager | Cardiovascular Research | Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation | Years as an RN: 24
Working in sponsored research on cardiovascular drug and device trials, Christine Majeski taps into cutting-edge studies. These trials can offer patients who may have pushed the limit on traditional options a chance to try something new.
A single study, which can sometimes last for five years or more, has many moving parts. She and her team typically have 15 to 20 studies going on simultaneously, each serving different pools of patients. One successful trial, for instance, tested the impact of an injectable cholesterol medication, which was found to decrease the risk of heart attack.
It’s serious work, but Majeski has a passion and approachability that inspires both colleagues and patients. She is driven by the potential each study holds to transform lives.
“When a new research study starts, I learn extensively about the product, along with the condition it treats,” she says. “I need to be able to explain what is different about the proposed treatment and study and what risks and benefits it may have for the patient.” One of the best fringe benefits of doing these multiyear studies, she says, is developing strong, close relationships with her patients.
Michelle Curley
Administrative Leadership
Michelle Curley | RN, CRNI | Director of Nursing, Infusion, and Home Health Agency | Pediatric Home Service | Years as an RN: 26
After spending nine years working in the ICU and ER, Michelle Curley was looking for a new way to help patients. She tapped into her fascination with what she calls “the techy things in nursing”—like pumps, IVs, and central lines—and shifted her focus to infusion therapy in home care, first for adults and then for pediatric patients. “I loved teaching patients and caregivers to administer IV medications in the comfort of their own home,” she says.
In her leadership role with Pediatric Home Service, she has been able to invest her energies mentoring nursing teams and working on ways to streamline health care for children and improve outcomes. As home therapy continues to evolve, more kids are going home with highly complex therapies and nursing needs, Curley says. “For our nursing team, this means constantly staying up on the latest technologies and therapies.”
For families who are often juggling many needs, schedules, and specialists, home therapy is a game changer. “Keeping kids at home prevents hospital-acquired infections and mental and social anxieties,” she says. “It’s amazing to have children receive therapies in their home so they can be with their families and maintain a ‘normalcy’ in life.”
Lisa Estelle Cunningham
Informatics
Lisa Estelle Cunningham | RN, BSN | Senior Clinical Informaticist, Solid Organ Transplant | M Health Fairview | Years as an RN: 30
While electronic medical records have become a seemingly routine tool for collecting patient data, behind the scenes, “health technology is a vast and dynamically changing landscape,” says informatics specialist Lisa Cunningham.
In her role, she studies ways to approach and tap this data to improve care for patients in all phases of the solid organ transplant process and for living donors. Having spent the first 11 years of her career working bedside with these patients at the University of Minnesota hospital, Cunningham has an inherent understanding of the workflow of nurses, physicians, and other caregivers in the electronic medical record.
Taking the time to draw together teams in order to fully understand needs, discover effective solutions, and also reduce costs, she strives to break down barriers and streamline processes “so that the patient may be the primary focus,” she says. Cunningham also collaborates with experts in a variety of other fields to connect information, workflows, and health technologies “to enhance the clinical quality and efficiency and effectiveness of care,” she says.
Though she spends more of her time behind the scenes now, she knows her efforts “positively impact the care of our solid organ transplant patients,” she says. Successfully bridging the gap between clinical staff and the IT department can be challenging, especially in times of transition, such as system-wide upgrades. But Cunningham is widely considered a vital positive role model who exudes a tireless can-do spirit.
Lisa Sundberg
Clinic Setting
Lisa Sundberg | RN | Nurse Care Manager, Medical Triage Homeless Veterans | VA Community Resource and Referral Center | Years as an RN: 17
Some days, Lisa Sundberg’s sphere of care seems to have no bounds. As the only full-time primary care nurse on site at the VA Community Resource and Referral Center, she has her hands full working through scheduled and unscheduled visits from the population she serves: homeless veterans. “I’m among an amazing staff of compassionate mental health social workers who work diligently to house homeless veterans and manage stability,” she says.
At the clinic, she coordinates, plans, and implements care and reaches out to other community services and organizations for help and donations to try to avoid gaps in the system that the homeless often endure. She also works to build trust with and help veterans in the community who can’t or won’t come to the clinic even though they need care.
Her positive, focused, protective approach impacts colleagues as much as the vulnerable veterans, who are often struggling with physical and mental health issues, substance abuse challenges, and malnutrition. “I look at a person as a whole: body, mind, emotion, and spirit,” she says. “Collecting physical signs and symptoms is just one part of nursing. It’s also important to consider a person’s personality, culture, lifestyle, mental state, and environment in order to help with interventions.”
A strong advocate for veterans, Sundberg can be seen riding her motorcycle on her days off, fundraising for veterans organizations.
Libby Foster
Emergency Care
Libby Foster | RN, BSN | Emergency Department | Allina Health Owatonna Hospital | Years as an RN: 17
Working in an emergency room setting means no two days will ever be the same. Libby Foster seems to thrive in that environment. “I enjoy the fast pace, never knowing what you might encounter on any given day,” she says. “I also enjoy being with people when they are scared and vulnerable. It’s hard to cover up and hide in the face of crisis. I like seeing and being with people as they truly are.”
Foster inspires her colleagues with her kindness and compassion, regardless of the chaos that might surround them. They admire the way she connects with patients even in some of the most dire circumstances. “I try to show patients that I see them and I hear them,” she says.
Working in a setting where seconds matter, Foster hones and tests her leadership skills daily. When asked what leadership looks like to her, she says, “A great leader is open to all possibilities, is slow to make assumptions, watches and listens, and understands the work that is being done—as well as those that are impacted—before making decisions.”
Amanda Rae Jame
Public Health
Amanda Rae James | RN, BSN, PHN | Medical Surgical Oncology | Allina Health Mercy Hospital–Mercy Campus | Years as an RN: 7
Known for having a positive, upbeat attitude whether she’s interacting with patients, peers, nursing students, or other medical professionals, Amanda James has a determination to “make every day a better day than the one before,” she says.
James, who works in oncology, says, “I love helping people who simply can’t help themselves at a difficult time in their life.” Approaching her patients with patience, kindness, and determination, she is inspired by helping them learn to care for themselves as they prepare to go home. She believes that giving the best care not only to patients but to their families and the whole hospital team can lead to better outcomes.
Working in oncology can be stressful and takes a toll on the care team. James says, “I find that simply a smile or an extra five minutes of undivided attention can make all the difference to anyone on the team. Everyone has a story, unique and complicated. So, take the opportunity to learn from it and grow, expanding the positivity of excellent care.”
Melinda Stober
Women’s Health
Melinda Stober | RN, BSN | Fetal Care Coordination Lead, Maternal/Fetal Medicine and Fetal Surgery | Midwest Fetal Care Center | Years as an RN: 21
“If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would be coordinating care for surgery on a fetus while a mother is still pregnant, or providing hope for a baby with certain types of heart disease, I would not have believed you,” says Melinda Stober.
She started her career in labor and delivery and enjoyed the every-day-is-different pace of that experience. Now, she works with families facing complex fetal health issues that require attention or intervention in utero or shortly after delivery. Each case presents unique challenges, risks, and unknowns. The families she works with are faced with sometimes unthinkable diagnoses and difficult decisions. “My best day is scooping a family up on their worst day and helping them develop a care path for their family that is fueled with knowledge and understanding.”
As Stober and her team prepare to perform complex, cutting-edge procedures, she sits with the family, breaking things down and allowing them to embrace all of their emotions.
“Even the worst diagnosis now makes us stop … wait … and maybe, just maybe, find a way to help a family,” she says. “Fetal medicine is the most amazing ‘think-outside-the-box’ field. I work with a team that can and does make miracles happen.”
Martha Dugan
Lifetime Achievement
Martha Dugan | APRN, CNP | Neonatology | Children’s Minnesota | Years as an RN: 45
When asked what initially inspired her to choose neonatology as her area of specialty, Martha Dugan says, “Being a neonatal nurse practitioner is a gift. It is a privilege to participate in a highly skilled team that often affects the outcome of a baby’s future.”
With a career that spans more than four decades, Dugan is known for her wonderful sense of humor, her patience and calm under pressure, and her vast knowledge and experience. She also has a reputation for taking on many extra shifts and attending hundreds of deliveries annually. “I am motivated by being open to learning new things, being perceptive to patient needs—anticipating them and meeting those needs head on,” she says. Despite her impressive workload, Dugan excitedly welcomes each new baby as if it were her first. “It’s fascinating to be a part of newborn care,” she says. “Their determined will to survive despite very challenging odds is palpable.”
Dugan is a widely known, well respected expert in the field, especially when it comes to sorting out challenging cases. It’s not unusual for neonatologists at the hospital to request to have Dugan by their sides if they are facing a particularly difficult delivery or procedure. Steadfast and inspiring to her team, especially on the most challenging days, Dugan needs to always be ready for the unknown. On any given day, she might find herself providing CPR to a critically ill baby or successfully establishing an airway for a small patient when others have failed. “Nurses need to be highly skilled in technical aspects of newborn care,” she says. “They must be strong patient advocates for their babies. Intuitive skills with quick decision making are very important. Learning is an ongoing process.” She also adds, “Empathy and understanding for parents, who are in highly stressful situations, is paramount.”
Her advice to nurses? “Excellence in the field is a constant goal,” she says. “It requires continual focus and awareness to achieve it. By believing in yourself and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth and pathways for improvement, it is attainable.”
In the end, Dugan says, “I believe that if we open our eyes and are perceptive to the cues on a daily basis, each and every baby will teach us something new.”
2019 Outstanding Nurses Awards Finalists
This is the eighth year Mpls.St.Paul Magazine has celebrated outstanding nurses in our community. Once again, we received a tremendous number of nominations from colleagues, supervisors, patients, and families. The award winners profiled in this feature and the finalists listed here* are a testament to the rich pool of talent in our medical community.
*Note: Information is current as of the time of nomination earlier this year. Some nurses may have changed practice locations in the interim.
Administrative Leadership
Sarah A. Carroll, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Anne C. Malle-Barlow, Abbott Northwestern Mother Baby Center and American Anesthesiology of MN
Susan U. Nokleby, School Nurse, District 287
Lyna M. Nyamwaya, North Memorial Medical Center
Carla R. Posch, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Sonja M. Sharp, Planned Parenthood
Emily P. Warren, University of Minnesota Health
Advanced Practice
Aminata S. Cham, Fairview Services, Acute Care Hospitals
Sharon K. Eriksen, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Neurosurgical Associates
Karen L. LaVenture, HealthEast Heart Care
Faith M. Pollock, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Kay L. Tyberg, Hennepin Healthcare Cardiology Clinic
Cancer Care
Katherine M. Klenk, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Sarah T. Myers, Minnesota Oncology St. Paul Cancer Care Center
Clinic Setting
Ann M. Kalis, University of Minnesota Medical Center
Chloe A. Lebron, HealthEast Heart Care, Saint Joesph’s Hospital
Tina M. Lonsky, M Health Clinic and Surgery Center
Erin J. Stern, Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Melanie A. Swanson, University of Minnesota Physicians
Carrie E. Weaver, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Children’s Health
Brea L. Anderson, Children’s Minnesota
Julie D. Anderson, Pediatric Home Service
Mary E. Brown-Kelly, Pediatric Home Service
Lynn A. Buchholz, Pediatric Home Service
Erin A. Curtis, Children’s Minnesota
Christopher M. Mumbua, BAYADA Home Health Care
Hallie R. Ruhl, Children’s Minnesota
Educator
Christopher W. Bailey, Children’s Minnesota
Marcia A. Meier, Park Nicollet International Diabetes Center
Carol J. Poppy, St. Croix Health Center
Emergency Care
Rayann D. Davis, United Hospital
Anne L. Doering
Melissa M. Mendoza, North Memorial Air Care
Hospice
Anne M. Thul, Allina Hospice
Crystal A. VanDanacker Wilebski, University of Minnesota Health
Hospital Setting
Melissa Adney, Regions Hospital
Tara Heinselman, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Bradley J. Rogers, Regions Hospital Burn Center
Janice D. Ross, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Zaundra V. Smith, Children’s Minnesota
Judith R. Sugimura, Children’s Minnesota
Carrie E. Weaver, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Hannah M. Whalen, CentraCare Health Monticello
Informatics
Matthew T. Larson, Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Intensive Care
Mary A. Bye, Children’s Minnesota
Kyle Fokken, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Terri A. Teagarden, Children’s Minnesota
Mental Health
Pascaline M. Ndifor Suhfor, Regions Hospital
Shannon D. Smith, University of Minnesota Medical Center Riverside West
Public Health
Gabrielle M. Longbehn, VeinSolutions
Kelly J. Mattson, Westonka Public Schools
Research
Rachael Givot, Hennepin Healthcare, HIV Program HCMC
Rising Star
Breanna C. Elofson, Mercy Hospital
Macy M. Henningsen, Children’s Minnesota
Hannah L. Scharpen, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Kelli A. Seybert, United Hospital
Women’s Health
Nicole Dishong, Southdale OB/GYN
Cary L. Johnson, Abbott Northwestern Mother Baby Center
Lifetime Achievement
Deborah L. LaLonde, Children’s Minnesota
Judy M. Moseley
Joan L. Scherrer, Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Robin R. Smith, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Surgical Intensive Care
Susan I. Will, School Nursing Consultant
Nominations were judged by the following nurses: Kristin Lau, PHN, RN, CLE, Maternal Child Health, Ramsey County Public Health; Jill Wall, BSN, CRNI, Pediatric Home Care/Infusion Nursing, Pediatric Home Service; Monica Cook, RN, BSN, OCN, Minnesota Oncology–St. Paul; and Judith M. Pechacek, DNP, RN, CENP, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program, University of Minnesota School of Nursing.
