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ARNNL presents 2010 Awards for Excellence at Annual Business Meeting
Date Posted: Fri, Jun 18 2010
Four registered nurses were recognized with Awards for Excellence in Nursing this morning during the 55th ARNNL Annual General Meeting at the Holiday Inn, St. John’s. The four recipients Dr. Sandra MacDonald, Joan Bursey, Judith Wells and Meiko Walsh, were nominated by peers and selected through a rigorous peer review process. All demonstrate exemplary dedication and commitment to their profession that goes ‘above and beyond’ the normal requirements of their employment and exceed professional expectations.
Dr. Sandra MacDonald, RN, BN, MN, PhD received the Award for Excellence in Nursing Education. As a professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) School of Nursing (SON), Dr. MacDonald works diligently to build long-lasting relationships with her students that are based on mutual respect. She believes that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to educate this generation of registered nurses. Her overall goal is to foster safe, competent, caring, ethical nurses. Sandra cares about providing each individual student with a quality education. Her teaching philosophy is based on the concept of caring for and caring about students while sharing her expertise in medical surgical nursing and leadership and management. Her approach is very successful. Her students describe her as enthusiastic, knowledgeable, competent, empowering, effective, a wonderful role – model, who is, progressive, connected, relevant, considerate, and a student advocate
Joan Bursey, RN, BN, MHS received the Award for Excellence in Nursing Administration. Joan Bursey has devoted her career as a nursing administrator to the advancement of nursing practice and the improvement of quality care delivery. She is known for her support of all staff working to their full scope of practice and as a motivator for the provision of the highest standard and most up to date care. She is a courageous leader who possesses a clear vision of quality care and who inspires and fosters leadership skills within others. As the Manager of the Provincial Non-Invasive Vascular Lab, Joan is very conscious of the importance of this service. She has been very creative and innovative in obtaining capital and emergency funding for necessary equipment, has increased staffing levels and has supported an advanced scope of practice for the staff. She was also instrumental in leading the process for accreditation - she has the honour of leading the only Accredited Vascular Lab in the province.
Judith Wells, RN, BN, MN received the Award for Excellence in Nursing Research.
With 34 years of experience in, Judith Wells is as passionate about nursing as she is about nursing research. She is an advocate for evidence based practice and strongly believes that the dissemination of results is pivotal to improving quality professional practice environments. Her values and beliefs regarding nursing research are evident through publications and presentations completed at local, provincial, national and international levels. Her work has examined strategies that contribute to a body of knowledge that supports such nursing issues such as job satisfaction, retention, recruitment and the improvement of teaching methodologies in nursing curricula.
In addition, Judith has mentored peers in the basics of research design and analysis and is a valuable resource for research within the Western Regional School of Nursing and Western Health. She has been instrumental in conducting research which helped shape clinical practice such as the implementation of new models of care (i.e. total patient care), implementation of a revised orientation and new mentorship program for newly graduated nurses, assessing the response to relocation of older adults, assessing individual experiences with end stage renal disease, and issues of chronic pain management.
Meiko Walsh, RN, BN received the ARNNL Elizabeth Summers Novice Nurse Award. Originally from St. Lawrence, Meiko Walsh is a 2007 graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing (Fast Track) program at Memorial University School of Nursing, St. John’s Campus. She is young nurse starting her career at Eastern Health, St. Clare’s site on vascular surgery. It is her positive attitude, her interest, enthusiasm and her dedication to quality care that has led to her nomination for this award. As a nurse she has impressed her colleagues with her involvement in the promotion of new knowledge. She constantly seeks out and takes advantage of educational opportunities to learn more about the care required for her patients and of note Meiko eagerly shares her knowledge readily. She has a great attitude and it is said to “motivate her fellow nurses during difficult shifts”.
Meiko has demonstrated her competency level and attention to the provision of safe, efficient and effective care to her patient’s right from the moment she began working as a nurse. Not only does she have excellent assessment skills, she also takes the time to sit with her patients and actively listen to their concerns. She advocates for her patients relentlessly and ensures that they are part of their care plan development.
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ARNNL is the regulatory body and professional organization representing all Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in the province. In pursuit of its vision, Excellence in Nursing, ARNNL exists so there will be public protection, quality health care, and healthy public policy.
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Media contact:
Janice Lockyer
Director of Communications
Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador (ARNNL)
Phone: 709.753.6198
Cell: 709.687.7243
E-Mail: jlockyer@arnnl.ca