(PRWEB) May 15, 2004--Rockland County honored and recognized the contribution of nurses to the health and well being of the community at the 22nd Annual Nurse Recognition Day, held on Thursday, March 13, 2004 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York. The theme of this year?s Nurses Recognition Day was ?Nurses for Nurses: Together We Care, Together We Grow.?
The event, which featured guests and dignitaries from around the county, marked the culmination of a week of tributes and activities honoring all of Rockland County?s nurses. Highlighting the event was the presentation of nine ?Excellence in Practice? Awards, which recognize eight registered nurses and one LPN enrolled in an RN program, for providing superior patient care. Award recipients were judged on criteria including their commitment to the nursing profession, clinical competence, interpersonal skills with patients, peers and other members of the health care team, and length of service in their current place of employment. Nominees were solicited from every health care facility and organization within the county. A total of 54 nominations were received.
The Excellence in Practice Awards for 2004 were presented to:
Oksoo Lee, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
Lyssa Maher, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
Madelyn Nestor, R.N., from Helen Hayes Hospital
Gladys McCloud, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
Pamela Pease, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
Denise Schultz, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
Kathleen Lynam, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital, and
Kathy Chin, R.N., from Good Samaritan Hospital
In addition, one Licensed Practical Nurse who is continuing her education en route to achieving her R.N. license received the annual LPN Award. This year?s recipient is Lucy Maulik, LPN, who practices at Good Samaritan Hospital. Scholarships were awarded to four accomplished nursing students from nearby schools, two of whom attend Rockland Community College, and two of whom are enrolled in Dominican College?s nursing program. From Dominican College, scholarships were awarded to Susan Sobol and Meghan Hartnett, while scholarship recipients from RCC were Melissa Phalon and Joanne Sheehan.
?Today we honor the work and dedication of all of our nurses in Rockland County, but we are especially pleased to recognize these nine professionals who bring an outstanding level of commitment and professionalism to their jobs day in and day out,? noted Joan Gall, Director of Admissions at Nyack Manor Nursing Home in Pomona, who chaired the awards committee.
The luncheon event was held amidst a festive atmosphere on the campus of Good Samaritan Hospital. Tents were erected, and various health-related presentations and displays were available to attendees. The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Connie Vance, an internationally renowned speaker on nurse mentoring.
Chairperson for this year?s event was Kathleen Hay, Director of Nursing at Good Samaritan Hospital, who commented, ?Nursing is both a very challenging and rewarding career. The fine nurses who we have the privilege of honoring today have met all of the challenges and are delivering superior health care service to the people of Rockland County.?
Following the presentation of the Excellence in Practice and Continuing Education Awards, Gail Talamini, Public Health Nursing Supervisor for the Rockland County Department of Health presented two special ?County Projects.? Each year, the county-wide nurse recognition committee collaborates to select a worthy community service project or projects to support. This year, two organizations were selected to receive assistance.
The first organization to receive assistance this year is the Department of Social Services Emergency Family Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing for families that have become homeless because of unforeseen circumstances, like fire. Maureen Heegan accepted the donation on behalf of Director of Housing Prudence Sanfratello and her organization. Rockland County nurses will be providing food and healthy snacks to families at the temporary shelter.
In addition, the Rockland nurses will provide ?comfort kits? to victims of sexual assault who are served by the Rockland Family Shelter. Susan Schwartz represented the shelter and Executive Director Carolyn Fish in accepting this gift.
Commenting on the County Projects, Talamini said, ?This is a collaborative effort on the part of our Rockland County nurses and other agencies, providing the opportunity for all of us to work together toward a common goal.?
Kathleen Hay, Director of Nursing at Good Samaritan Hospital summed up the day?s activities, saying, ?It is fitting that we honor the work and selfless dedication of the nurses of Rockland County. Anyone in healthcare delivery will tell you that nurses make a real and substantial difference each and every day, and provide the backbone of care in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare settings. We at Good Samaritan Hospital are thrilled to host this event, and we are privileged to be able to work side-by-side with so many of these dedicated professionals.?