Nurse Achievements and Recognition

Each year the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) recognizes nurse leaders from all over the world for their outstanding contributions to nursing and health care. Through the years, AAN has named eight Children's National Hospital nurses as academy fellows, including 2020 honoree Mary Anne Hilliard, Esq., R.N., CPHRM, executive vice president and general counsel.

Our other nurses who earned this distinction in the past are:

• Linda Talley, M.S., R.N., NE-BC, FAAN, vice president and chief nursing officer 
• Mary Daymont, M.S.N., R.N., vice president of Revenue Cycle and Care Management
• Suzanne Feetham, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, research consultant and long-time employee
• Pamela Hinds, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN, executive director, Nursing Science, Professional Practice and Quality Outcomes
• Ada Sue Hinshaw, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN, former Research Board member
• Debbie LaFond, D.N.P., P.P.C.N.P.-B.C., C.P.O.N., C.H.P.P.N., clinical director, PANDA Palliative Care Team
• Nellie Robinson, R.N., M.S.N., FAAN, former chief nursing officer

The DAISY Award^® for Extraordinary Nurses

The DAISY Award^® for Extraordinary Nurses was established by the DAISY Foundation^™ in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 years old of ITP, an auto-immune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created this national award to say "thank you" to nurses everywhere. 

Although the award was first created in the Seattle area, now 2,800 health care facilities throughout the United States and in 17 other countries honor local nurses with the DAISY Award ^®. Learn more about the DAISY Award^®.

Registered and advanced practice nurses can be nominated by patients, families, visitors, volunteers and hospital employees. To nominate a nurse for this award, complete this form: English | Spanish.

2021 Winners:

• Katherine Worst, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC, CPN
• Rebekah Krasinski, BSN, RN, CPN
• Brithany Barra, BSN, RN
• Lysia Urban, ADN, RN
• Bridget Reese, BSN, RN, CPN
• Meghan Okerson, BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN

2021 DAISY Nurse Leader Recipients:

• Christy Gaskill, BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN
• Andrea "Dede" Colevas, MSN, RN, CPN, NE-BC
• Renee Roberts-Turner (CNO DAISY), DHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ
• Monique Powell, MSN, RN
• Lucy Burrell, BSN, RN, CCRN
• Debbie Vaaltyn, MS, BSN, RN

2020 Winners:

• Christa LaQuinta, BSN, RN
• Lori Irvin, BSN, RN, CPN
• Sabrina Bowling, BSN, CPN, RNC-NIC, RN
• Samantha Scoggin, BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN
• Miranda Beuerlein, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC
• Lindsey Halverson, BSN, RN, CPN
• Katarina Harvey, BSN, RN
• Alisa Bruce, BSN, RN, RNFA, CNOR, CPN
• McKenna LaDue, BSN, RN
• Mary Anselmo, BSN, RN
• Sarah Turgeon, BSN, RN, CPN
• Michele Kuhn, BSN, RN, NCSN

2020 DAISY Nurse Leader Recipients:

• Emily Rice, BSN, RN, CPN
• Elizabeth Berg, RN, BSN, CCRN
• Mary Santerre, MSN, RN, CPN
• Kristi (Hawver) Mehrtens, MS, BSN, RN, CPN
• Rosemarie Plessinger, MSN, RN
• Mourine Evans (CNO DAISY), MS, RN 
• Simmy King (CNO DAISY), DNP, MS, MBA, RN-BC, NE-BC, CHSE
• Michelle Raynor, MSN/MHA, RN 

DAISY Team Award^®

The DAISY Team Award^® is a recognition program honoring a nursing-led team who comes together to meet a particular patient-family need. It recognizes that while an idea to achieve better patient and family outcomes may start with one individual, it often takes an entire team to implement successfully. The DAISY Team Award^® is designed to honor collaboration by two or more people, led by a nurse, who identify and meet patient and/or patient-family needs by going above and beyond the traditional role of nursing.

DAISY Team Award Recipients:

• Nurse Navigator Team, 2022
• Surgical Care Special Isolation Unit, 2021
• Critical Care Clinical Forum: Radiology and PICU Nursing Team, 2020
• Neuro-Oncology Team, 2019
• Emergency Psychiatric Specialty Team, 2018
• Surgical Care Unit, 2017
• Heart and Kidney Unit, 2016

In 2015, the American Nurses Credentialing Center named Children’s National advanced practice nurse June Amling, MSN, RN, CNS, CWON, CCRN one of its five 2015 National Magnet Nurses of the Year. 

Recognized in the Empirical Outcomes category, Amling has served in a variety of roles at Children’s National and is now a nationally-recognized expert in pediatric wound care.

Amling founded the Children’s National Skin and Wound Team which successfully reduced pressure ulcers from eight percent to less than 0.35 percent across 13 inpatient units, well below national benchmarks.

Debbie Lafond, DNP, PPCNP-BC, CPON, CHPPN was honored as one of two finalists for the 2016 Press Ganey^® Nurse of the Year Award. Debbie was recognized for her exemplary work in pediatric palliative care that demonstrates an outstanding direct care nurse who has gone above and beyond in his/her role and demonstrated care innovation, transformation and collaboration that supports exceptional patient experience.

In May 2016 Judith Campbell RN, IBCLC, lactation consultant, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Team were awarded the 2016 Best Nursing Team in the Best Expertise category from ADVANCE for Nurses for establishing a strong breast milk culture in their unit.

In September 2016, two Children’s National nurses were recognized at the 40th APHON Annual Conference and Exhibit.

The Beacon Award for Excellence® (Beacon Award) recognizes the nurses within units that distinguish themselves by implementing evidence-based practices to improve patient care and satisfaction. The award is given by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Children's National units with a Beacon status are: 

• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit - Silver
• Surgical Care Unit - Silver
• 7 East Medical Unit - Silver

Kamil Barker, MS, BSN, RN, CPN, RN-BC, a clinical educator in our Heart and Kidney Unit, earned the Hope Marietta Foundation’s 2015 Nurse of the Year Award.

Barker’s colleagues nominated her for the award, citing her care for patients and families; her expert orientation of new nurses; and her knowledge of diagnoses, treatments, technology, informatics and documentation.

Two Children’s National nurses were regional finalists for the 2016 Nurse.com’s prestigious Nursing Excellence GEM Awards.

• Rose Moore, BSN, RN, School Nurse within Children’s School Services, was recognized as a finalist within the Community Care category. Rose was recognized for her outstanding work as a champion for child immunization surveillance and compliance. She was also honored for her participation in several other community-based health promotion activities such as The Fit Kids Club and Healthy Hearts lifestyle programs.
• Jeanne Pettinichi, MSN, RN, CPEN, CPN, Professional Practice Specialist in EMTC, was recognized as a finalist in the Education and Mentorship category. Jeanne was recognized for her leadership in practice change and education initiatives across Children’s two emergency departments. Jeanne’s contributions led to a significant decrease in nurse vacancy rate and greater opportunity for resource and float nurses. She also successfully led evidence-based practice change and education in the department related to sepsis performance management for our most vulnerable patients.

Wayne Neal, MAT, BSN, RN-BC, FCN, Manager of Patient and Family Education, received the 2015 Pediatric Nursing Excellence Award in Education from the Society of Pediatric Nursing.

The annual award recognizes a nurse who has made significant contributions to pediatric nursing as an educator.

Three Children’s National nurses recently earned Washingtonian magazine Excellence in Nursing Awards, an honor celebrating local nurses who go above and beyond for their patients.

• Beth Jarosz, MS, RN, in the Community Outreach category.
  Jarosz has been at Children’s National for 26 years and has worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Cardiology. She also works with children in the community through her leadership in Camp Heartbeat, a summer camp for children with heart conditions.
• Teresa Graves, MSN, RN, in the Community Nursing category.
  Graves began her career at Children’s National as a Student Nurse Child Care Technician. Seventeen years later, she is a Nurse Manager for our primary care clinics, serving some of the District of Columbia’s most vulnerable children.
• Tosin Oluwole, BSN, RN, CPN, in the Mothers & Children category.
  As a float pool nurse, Oluwole works across many different areas of the hospital and helps care for children with a diverse spectrum of illnesses.