Area Nurses to Be Honored at 22nd Annual Nightingale Awards

CINCINNATI—The University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Nursing will honor hundreds of area nurses, giving special recognition to six, at the 22nd annual Florence Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing Wednesday, April 9, at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati.

The six awardees—selected by the UC College of Nursing’s Board of Advisors from a nomination pool of 275 area nurses—will each receive $1,000 and a commemorative award.  

"This year’s Nightingale Award winners are leaders, educators, caregivers and innovators,” says Greer Glazer, PhD, dean of the UC College of Nursing. "They exemplify the very best of what nurses bring to the table, and the UC College of Nursing is honored to recognize them for their achievements and celebrate our entire community of outstanding nursing professionals.”

A 5 p.m. reception and raffle at Saks Fifth Avenue precedes the event, with the Nightingale Awards dinner beginning at 7 in the Hyatt Regency.

Anyone is welcome to attend the event. Individual registration is $75 ($35 of which is tax deductible). Table pricing is also available.

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Register online

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Raffle proceeds and any leftover proceeds from event ticket sales will be used to

support scholarships

for UC College of Nursing students.

This year’s event is sponsored by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Mercy Health and University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The 2014 Nightingale Award winners are:

Jenifer Brodsky

, West Chester Hospital

Called "a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on,” West Chester Hospital trauma manager Jenifer Brodsky is known for her positive impact on the quality of care and patient experience at the hospital. She has led the development of trauma education programs in the emergency department and helped open the West Chester Outpatient Trauma Clinic to provide instructional programs for families and patients.

Sheila Carroll

, Rose Garden Mission

Retirement from a 40-year-long career in nursing was just the beginning for Sheila Carroll. After her time as a nurse, she assisted in founding a medical clinic at Rose Garden Mission in Covington, Ky., where patients without insurance can seek care. There, Carroll manages volunteer staff and funding, and also volunteers in the clinic three to four days a week.

Sadie Hughes

, Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

A nurse practitioner at the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sadie Hughes provides extraordinary care to veterans in the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Clinic, which she has grown to serve nearly 200 veterans with spinal cord injuries and other conditions that affect the spinal cord and nervous system.

Lindy Mathes

, Bethesda North Hospital

A DAISY award nominee, Lindy Mathes spent seven years in direct patient care before being promoted to charge nurse—a role she has expanded into several leadership positions. She serves as a mentor for new registered nurses and a clinical coach for new employees. A dedicated volunteer with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mathes is enrolled in the College of Mount St. Joseph’s BSN program and will graduate in May 2016.

David Sens

, Bethesda Butler Hospital

A registered nurse in Bethesda Butler Hospital’s emergency department, David Sens pushes those around him to pursue their utmost potential. He co-leads the Shared Leadership Committee and the Patient Satisfaction Committee and works closely with colleagues to provide to facilitate their understanding of drawing blood, CT scans and cleaning rooms during busy times. Sens trades beach vacations for mission trips through the organization Caring Partners.

Virginia Summe

, Good Samaritan Hospital

After 27 years in the neonatal intensive care unit, Virginia "Ginny” Summe has developed a focus on treating infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, an condition caused by exposure to narcotics in utero. Instead of shying away from these difficult-to-treat patients, Summe identified an approach to not only improve their quality of life but to also personally connect with the mothers through education programs she has developed.