Beverly Greaves and Steven Jacobson, nursing team members in the Emergency Department at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, were among the honorees at UM Shore Regional Health’s recent Nurse Excellence Awards Presentation and Graduate University (GU) and Critical Care University (CCU) Graduation.
As part of UM Shore Regional Health’s celebration of Nurses Week, the annual event took place on Monday, May 9 at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College. Greaves won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Care Delivery – Commitment to Others; Jacobson won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Professional Nursing.
Greaves’ nominators cited her positive and calm manner and her success in making all staff feel valued as part of the team. They also cited her ability to prioritize ED patient care as well as her outstanding communication skills that enable her to educate and mentor staff, delegate responsibilities and resolve conflict. While Greaves works the night shift, she is very involved with ED projects and frequently changes her schedule to accommodate the needs of the unit or her team members.
Jacobson’s nomination highlighted his strong interest in professional development for himself and his colleagues, as reflected in his creation of several education and training modules based on the results of a survey of staff education and training needs. As clinical coordinator, he also was instrumental in the planning, transition and opening of the new Emergency Department at Chestertown. In his spare time, Jacobson works as a paramedic and as part-time clinical instructor for Delaware Technical Nursing Program.
Novice nurses from UM SMC at Chestertown recognized for completing UM Shore Regional Health’s Critical Care University were Bradley Jones, Amy Loder-Crouch, Kimberly Seward and Melanie Walls. They were called on to the stage to receive their diplomas along with other novice nurses from UM Shore Medical Centers at Dorchester and Easton.
Leading the event presentations was Ruth Ann Jones, UM Shore Regional Health’s senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, who noted that this year’ honorees were selected from a total of 43 nominations, the greatest number submitted since the awards were established five years ago. “This awards program was established by nurses, for nurses as a way to recognize those who go above and beyond for our patients and their families, and for their communities,” said Jones. “All of this year’s nominees deserve our appreciation, as do their families and other supporters who help make it possible for them to go the extra mile in the care they provide.”
Ken Kozel, president and CEO, spoke glowingly of the key role that quality nursing plays in achieving the organization’s mission, Creating Healthier Communities Together, and its vision, To Be the Region’s Leader in Patient Centered Health Care. He stated that while one constant in today’s health care is change, another constant is that leadership makes the difference in navigating change. “This evening we are surrounded by nurse leaders who believe in excellence, and they achieve it by focusing on relationship based care, and evidence based care and professionalism,” Kozel said.
Kozel also thanked the CCU and GU novice nurse graduates for selecting UM Shore Regional Health to begin their nursing careers and encouraged them to continue their professional development as the next generation of nurse leaders who will help the organization to continue to thrive in the coming decades.
John Dillon, chairman of the Board of UM SRH, stated that Board members “are keenly aware of the quality of nursing offered in the hospitals because we so often hear from people in the community about how wonderful our nurses are. Our nurses have played a key role helping us become one of the best community hospitals in the nation, in my opinion.”
Other 2016 individual award winners were: Mary Collins, UM SMC at Easton, Kimberly Kral, UM SMC at Dorchester. The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) of UM SMC at Dorchester and Easton received the Unit Award for Excellence in Empirical Outcomes.
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