St. Francis Hospital nurses lauded for professional excellence

INDIANAPOLIS – Several nurses were recognized for service and leadership in their respective fields at the 2009 St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers Excellence in Nursing ceremony.

The ceremony and banquet was among the recent events honoring the service of St. Francis’ 1,450 nurses.The award categories, recipients and their service areas:

Clinical: Lynn Robbin (Palliative Care, Beech Grove) and Lindsey Zander (Bone Marrow Transplant, Beech Grove)

Community Service: Sandie Hickey (School Nurse Program, Indianapolis) and Norva Perkins (Obstetrics, Mooresville)

Preceptor/Mentor: Julie Gausvik (Bone Marrow Transplant, Beech Grove) and Stacy Glass (Bone Marrow Transplant, Beech Grove)

Professional Development: Brenda Hood (Adult Critical Care, Beech Grove) and Deb Hillman (Bone Marrow Transplant, Beech Grove)

Each nurse received a cash stipend for educational seminars and a plaque.

The ceremony also recognized the 2009 Richard E. Fry, M.D., Memorial Nursing Scholarships, a program funded by the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation. The scholarships are awarded to those in good standing and who either have been accepted or enrolled in an accreditied nursing program.

The recipients: Andrea Marie Amonette, Molly Bryant, Carly Horvath, Morgan Huser, Lillian Mwamba and Diann Randall.

Nurses from St. Francis’ Career Advancement and Recognition of Excellence program also were recognized at the honors banquet.

To learn more about student nursing programs at St. Francis, go to www.stfrancishospitals.org/careers/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=50.

St. Francis Hospital shines spotlight of appreciation on its nurses

INDIANAPOLIS – Nurses. They’re the heartbeat of hospitals and clinics – often the ones patients have the most interaction with when undergoing treatment.

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers will honor its nurses and the myriad services they perform in events planned throughout the year. The activities, organized by the Nursing Services Recognition Steering Committee, get under way in mid-April and during National Nurses Week, May 5-10.

“Nursing is more than a career” said Chief Nursing Officer Susan McRoberts. “For us, it is a ministry, and we’re proud so many have answered the call by choosing St. Francis as their professional home.”

St. Francis has about 1,400 nurses working in patient care and specialty care at its three hospitals in Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville.

On Thursday, April 17, St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville will host a recognition dinner awards ceremony. Ten nurses will be honored based on the criteria of clinical service, quality improvement, mentoring, professional development and community service. They will receive a cash stipend to be used for educational seminars and a plaque.

The event also will announce the 2008 Richard E. Fry Scholarships for nursing education, a program funded by the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation.

“We want to honor the men and women who, every day, make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families,” said Anita Trackwell, clinical services director at the Mooresville hospital. “Their commitment to their patients is the foundation for the excellent care we provide at our hospital. These nurses deserve our encouragement and support, and we believe there is no greater gift we can give than a simple thank-you for their many contributions and hard work.”

One activity that focuses on nurses’ role in helping tend to patients’ spiritual needs is the “Blessing of Hands.” This special service, which symbolizes the hands-on aspect of healing, will be offered on all St. Francis nursing units.

Public areas and cafeterias at all three St. Francis hospitals also will be the sites of ice cream socials and photographic displays celebrating nurses and their achievements and promoting the profession.