Niagara Health celebrated excellence in nursing at the Nursing Awards and Celebration Gala on Tuesday.
Our amazing nursing team goes above and beyond every day to provide a safe, high-quality experience for our patients. The nominations this year were incredible and made it very difficult for the nominating committee to choose the winning recipients.
We are extremely proud of all of our nurses, and thank each and every one of them for all that they do to provide an extraordinary experience for our patients.
“As I reflect on the many achievements of our nursing team, I am so proud of the outstanding work and caring taking place every day at Niagara Health,” says Derek McNally, Niagara Health Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive. “Please join me in thanking our nurses for putting our patients first and for providing a safe, high-quality experience for our patients and families.”
We are pleased to announce this year’s recipients of Nursing Awards of Excellence:
Excellence in Customer Service:
Janice Whitford, Registered Nurse – St. Catharines Site
Janice is always approachable and is great at conflict resolution. She listens to staff concerns and proactively addresses the issues at hand while exhibiting leadership qualities.
Rising Star:
Melissa Cercone, Registered Nurse – Welland Site
Melissa is a perfect example of a rising star and nursing leader. In 2012 she was the successful applicant for the Nursing Externship on the Woolcott Wing. From the start she has been a vital part of the team. Willing to help everyone, she always maintains a high level of professionalism.
Tina Jose, Registered Practical Nurse – St. Catharines Site
Tina has been exceptionally motivated constantly seeking out new knowledge related to nephrology and all modes of care. Tina is a rising star, and demonstrates the professional standards every day.
Sarah Kerr, Registered Nurse – Welland Site
Compassion, professionalism and respect are second nature to Sarah. Full of energy and always positive, Sarah has embraced her role and through her enthusiasm entices her colleagues to follow her energy. Sarah is truly a rising star as she continues to develop as a nurse, encourages the development of others and embodies the purpose, vision and values of Niagara Health.
Stefanie Lees, Registered Practical Nurse – Greater Niagara General Site
Stefanie continues to learn and improve and is always eager to apply her new knowledge to improve patient care. Stefanie is a strong advocate for her patients and for her team.
Excellence in Patient Education:
Charlene Duliban, Advance Practice Nurse – St. Catharines Site
Charlene has been instrumental in developing and co-leading the Walker Family Cancer Centre Patient and Family Advisory Council. Charlene’s enthusiasm for patient education and experience has led to many new initiatives at Walker Family Cancer Centre.
Excellence in Nursing Leadership:
Jennifer Lee, Nurse Practitioner – Port Colborne Site
Jennifer has outstanding leadership skills. She has a professional approach and continually advocates for our patients, families and staff.
Denise Crockett, Registered Nurse – St. Catharines Site
Denise is an amazing member of our interdisciplinary team and strives to help everyone work to their best abilities. In a very short time, Denise has gained both the respect and affection of her staff.
Excellence in Patient Flow:
David Corbett, Registered Nurse – Welland Site
David brings positive change to patient flow using his collaborative teamwork approach to problem solving and assisting with flow improvements. He is committed to achieving patient flow metrics and has exemplary decision-making skills.
Jennifer Law, Registered Nurse – Greater Niagara General Site
Jennifer demonstrates Niagara Health’s values and is committed to providing a great patient experience. Her loyalty and commitment to her patients and staff make her a great leader.
Excellence in Patient Care:
Claudia Danyluk, Registered Nurse – Welland Site
Claudia demonstrates excellence in patient care and is a true asset for our patients, families and peers.
She is a mentor to our Critical Care interns and new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff and is a dedicated nurse.
Karen Garner, Registered Practical Nurse – St. Catharines Site
Karen came up with a simple, yet highly effective idea that is helping to increase safety and security for patients on our inpatient Mental Health units. Her dedication shows an ongoing commitment to going above and beyond to create a positive experience for our patients.
Excellence in Team Nursing:
2016 Nurse Educators
Lisa Boyd, Carmen Cernusca, Derek Christensen, Natalie Doucet, Teresa Duguay, Vera Girard, Monica Hlywka, Karen James, Davene Korince, Lezlie Lambert-Burd, Karen Mings, Barb Sawatsky, Nathalie Stewart, Kelly Sylvester.
This team of educators has worked tirelessly over the last few months educating nurses on the Computerized Ambulatory Drug Delivery (CADD) pump initiative. This initiative not only results in safe patient care, it also improved nursing practice throughout the organization.
