UHS nurses honored at Nurses Day Breakfast

The Professional Nurses Association of South Central New York (PNA) held its 36th Nurses Day Breakfast May 10 to honor area nurses.  Held each year during National Nurses Week, the breakfast is an opportunity for nurses from around the region to network with each other and celebrate their profession. 

Each year the PNA honors nurses by selecting several individuals for special recognition.  Three of those recognized for 2018 are members of the UHS nursing team.

Nursing Practice Award:

This honor highlights a PNA member who demonstrates outstanding performance in the practice of nursing. The award acknowledges the essential contributions that nurses across the continuum of care make to patients and the community.

This RN develops and implements special projects that impact professional practice, and shares innovative, progressive ideas. They act as a change agent to improve and enhance nursing practice, and function as a role model for excellence in practice. 

The individual demonstrates a commitment to the development of professional nursing and participation in professional organizations, committee work, community actions or education programs. The nurse demonstrates leadership in bringing awareness of issues or problems to the appropriate venues for potential resolution. 

The UHS nurse who is the recipient of this honor is Rosalee Heard, RN, of Memorial 3 at UHS Binghamton General Hospital.

She personifies the commitment and leadership that are at the heart of this award.

Aspiring Professional Nurse Award:

This award recognizes a member of the PNA who is in their first two years of practice and is mastering the knowledge and know-how of the profession.  This professional registered nurse has integrated learning and has applied it to their practice over the past two years.

Gaining experience is the prerequisite to becoming an expert. This individual is a change agent and seeks to improve the profession of nursing with innovative and progressive ideas, functioning as a role model for their peers and acting as a preceptor and mentor for new nurses.

Two of UHS’ most promising nurses have been selected to receive this honor:  Sidney Earley, RN, from the Intensive Care Unit at UHS Wilson Medical Center and and Courtney Ilnicki, RN, from South Tower 5 Medical Oncology at UHS Wilson. 

Both are compassionate and dedicated professionals who represent the future of nursing very well.