University Hospital Flight Nurse Honored at 2009 Nightingale Awards

CINCINNATI - As a flight nurse Diana Deimling has saved countless lives, though given her unaffected modesty, you’d never know it by talking to her. She epitomizes excellence...I have difficulty conceiving that a more skilled flight nurse exists in the world.
This is only a portion of the description William Hinckley, MD, with the UC department of emergency medicine, presented the UC College of Nursing’s nomination committee in hopes that Deimling—a University Hospital Air Care & Mobile Care nurse—would be recognized at the 17^th annual Florence Nightingale Awards for Nursing.

And she was, as one of six top award winners recognized at an April 22 ceremony at the Hyatt Regency, where Nightingale winners were presented a bronze bust of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and $1,000. Ten finalists were also honored with Dean’s Awards at the event and were presented a plaque and $400.

“The critical work of a caring nurse requires a commitment and provision of health care to people which is first and foremost,” says Dean Andrea Lindell, adding “the one-on-one interaction between a health care provider and a patient that signifies the true essence of patient care.”

Each year, the UC College of Nursing’s Board of Advisors pores over hundreds of nominations from all over the Greater Cincinnati area to determine who will win one of the 16 coveted awards. This year the board deliberated over 244 nominations.

Another University Hospital nurse to be recognized was Charlotte Theile, who received the Dean’s Award.  

Nightingale Award winners:

Tamara Bryant, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Linda Danko, Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Diana Deimling, University Hospital

Amy Kolbinsky, Cincinnati Health Department

Becky Miars, Caregivers Health Network

Mary Reddington, Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation

Dean’s Award winners:

Brain Burkhardt, St. Luke Vascular Institute

Cindy Chester, CMH Regional Health System

Laura Horan, St. Luke East

Thomas Jordan, The Christ Hospital

Leah Neiheisel, Cincinnati Health Department

Barbara Rebennack, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Marian Riestenberg, Good Samaritan Hospital

Julie Sullivan, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Charlotte Theile, University Hospital

Stacey Wills, Cincinnati Health Department

Award winners were nominated by patients, family, friends of patients, colleagues, physicians and other health care workers. All nominees must have demonstrated excellence in direct care, live and be employed in the Greater Cincinnati area (Ohio, Kentucky and southern Indiana) and be a licensed registered nurse.

For more information, visit nursing.uc.edu