By Deb Meyer, RN
Practice and Education Commissioner
Practice and Education Commissioner
Nurses are doing great things every day, and we need to recognize these nurses, which we do annually at the the Minnesota Nurses Association Honors and Awards banquet during the annual convention in October. Every MNA member is eligible, and there are even awards for friends of MNA too. All you have to do is nominate them.
As you work side by side with your co-workers in the next few months, keep these awards in mind. The President’s award is selected by the MNA President, but the remainder of the awards can be nominated by members. The rest of the awards are:
- The Distinguished Service Award: honors the nurse who displays substantial contributions to the health and well-being of the community within which they live and work.
- The Creative Nursing Award: honors the nurse who recognized a specific healthcare need and developed a new and/or creative approach that improves the quality of healthcare for an identified population.
- Audrey Logsdon/Geraldine Wedel Award: honors the nurse or nurses who have contributed significantly to nurses and/or nursing practice through collective bargaining activities.
- Ruth L. Hass Excellence in Practice Award: honors the nurse involved in direct nursing care who has demonstrated expert knowledge and practice in a selected clinical area of nursing and is recognized by her/his peers as a role model of sustained, consistent high quality nursing practice.
- Nurse Educator Award: honors the nurse involved in nursing education who has demonstrated expertise in the teaching of nursing and is recognized by their peers as a role model of sustained, consistent, high quality teaching.
- Public Official Award: honors a local or state public official who, through involvement in policy making at the local or state level, has placed a high priority on influencing policy, which assists MNA in reaching its goals.
- Sarah Tarleton Colvin Political Activist Award: honors a nurse or group of nurses who serve as a role model for nurses because of activities, above and beyond those of the general nursing community, to further the political presence of nursing, and/or to accomplish change in public policy that is positive for the nursing profession.
- Nurse Researcher Award: honors the nurse or nurses who made a significant impact on nursing practice through the use of research.
- Mentorship in Nursing Award: honors the nurse or nurses who have demonstrated this through sustained and significant leadership to nurses/nursing students by modeling values, attitudes, and behaviors consistent with those of the profession.
- Elizabeth Shogren Health and Safety Award: honors the nurse or nurses who have made sustained and substantial contributions to the health, safety, and well-being of the nursing community in which they work.
- Paul and Sheila Wellstone Social Justice Award: honors the nurse, elected official, or community leader who demonstrates a lifetime achievement of working to better the lives of others by increasing their access to quality healthcare.
It is not too early to start thinking about this. The deadline for nominations is July 1st. I have nominated someone each of the past two years, and it is an easy online process. Click here to find the nomination form.
Good luck to all nominated, and thank you to all nurses for what you do.