GNA’s 2001 convention highlights: An evening of celebration GNA’s Awards banquet
GNA’s Evening of Celebration and Awards Banquet was the time to celebrate accomplishments and achievements of a few of nursing’s shining stars. A select few of nursing’s finest were honored for their significant contribution to nursing.
The processional of the 2001 District Honorees was presented by Kay Hampton, District Assembly Chair and Southeast Regional Director. District Presidents meet their honorees at the presentation arena and escorted them to their seats.
Special recognition wa& given to MBNA of America and Southeast Georgia Health Systems who sponsored the evening’s event.
The Staff Nurse Award was established by the 1996 GNA House of Delegates to recognize an individual staff nurse who personify the spirit of nursing. The purpose of the award is to recognize contribution that an individual staff nurse has made as a care provider. This individual must promote professionalism in nursing practice by serving as a facilitator of the healing process, be a patient advocate, and a mentor and role model for, other nurses. GNA’s 2001 Staff Nurse is Ella Flournoy, a staff nurse assigned to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the VA Medical Center in Atlanta. Ella is a facilitator of the healing process utilizing the nursing process. She developed a Unit Bereavement Program to assist families with grief associated with death. She serves as facilitator of this program ensuring follow up with families and participation of SICU staff. She conducted a family survey tb evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Families responded positively to this service. The program has proven to be successful and will be implemented hospital wide. Ella also serves as preceptor to incoming SICU staff on her tour of duty. She is a founding member of the “Night Owls,” a group of nurses that work the night tour and provides continuing education for the night staff. This includes bringing speakers on various topic as well as updates in technology. Ella is an instructor of ACLS, First Aid, and a BCLS Instructor/Trainer and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Instructor/Trainer. Ella consistently promotes a positive image in nursing through her affiliations with the American Red Cross, schools and church. She has served as the American Red Cross Disaster Health Coordinator for Dekalb County for the past nine years. In this position, she provides guidance -and leadership to ensure coordination of essential services necessary for optimal team response and preparedness. Ella has devoted one thousand hours toward volunteer service as Disaster Health Coordinator.
Each year GNA recognizes outstanding journalists or media organizations who have used their medium to present nursing in a positive light and have had a positive impact on health care delivery. The recipients this year were Marla Salmon, Dean of the Emory School of Nursing for her multiple presentations in the media, both through interviews and letters to the editors of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, LaGrange Daily News for the series of articles written by Donna Reames and published in celebration of Nurses Week; and Debbie Gilbert for multiple articles during the past year which addressed nursing issues and presented nurses and nursing in a positive way to the community.
The Nurse Researcher of the Year award was presented to Dr. Linda Moneyham. The purpose of the award is to give GNA members an opportunity to honor a research colleague for outstanding endeavors related to research. This program acknowledges that there are many research related activities such as mentoring, consulting and collaborating, as well as actually conducting research, that never receives national awards, yet are vital to the building of the knowledge base of nursing. In addition, there are many locally and regionally valued researchers who likewise are not properly recognized. This program provides a means of honoring and praising those among us who deserve to be recognized. Dr. Moneyham was recognized for her research that is focused on the needs of women with HIV disease. This research has made significant contributions to the development and testing of interventions for women with HIV/AIDS. These contributions have impacted the quality of life for persons living with and infected by HIV/AIDS and the quality of care nurses provide to them. Dr. Moneyham is a Research Associate Professor for the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. She resides and has an office in Lilburn, GA and maintains research sites across Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Dr. Moneyham’s is currently the principal investigator for an NIH funded study of a peer counseling intervention for rural women with HIV disease. She was recently selected to receive the Researcher Recognition Award of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care for her work with HIV infected women.
There were three nominations for the Ludie Andrews Award this year. The committee found it difficult to select only one recipient therefore the Ludie Andrews Award was presented to Catherine Waymer Binns and Maggie Phoenix Gilead, PhD, RN. Catherine Binns initiated and implemented the Comprehensive Health Services Program of Students in the Atlanta Public Schools and upgraded school nursing. Mrs. Binns also developed the Government Project for Health Education in Public Schools: “Elementary School Health Community Program.” Her leadership, keen insight and long hours of service have resulted in dramatic improvements in education, health and personal services directed toward children and youth throughout Georgia. Her contributions in the Atlanta community and also on regional and national levels, reflect the tenacity and commitment of Ludie Andrews to health care access and equity. Maggie Gilead’s door has always been open to all students for encouragement personally and academically. She is a voice for diversity at the University Level by her participation in the Multi-cultural Center Mentoring Program. She has been a consultant for Minority Recruitment and Retention, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She has also been a consultant for nursing staff on cultural diversity in health care at Veterans Medical Center. Since 1984, Maggie has engaged with 20% of her time in clinical service at Crawford Long Hospital for adult sickle cell patients. She has also been an adjunct faculty at Emory in the Department of African American Studies.
With the Mary N. Long Award for Innovations in Nursing Practice, the Georgia Nurses Foundation honors nurses who dare to dream and to make their dreams a reality. This prestigious award has a rich tradition of being highly revered by its recipients. Catherine Futch, the 2001 recipient, has worn many hats over a long period of time in GNA and GNPs history. She is the immediate past president of the Foundation where she innovated our first annual golf tournament this past year. She also lead the reorganization of the foundation’s mission to align with GNA’s strategic plan and enabled the process for the Foundation to assess its Board competencies to attract the skill sets to the Board necessary for GNA/GNF to prepare for the capital campaign for the new headquarters. Catherine also serves as the GLN Treasurer, participated on the reactivated committee on multi-state licensure and the manpower task force committee for GNA.
The Distinguished Service Award, GNA’s highest award was presented to a very surprised Shelby Lacy The Distinguished Service Award is our highest honor bestowed on an individual selected by the Executive Committee on behalf of the association. This honor is given for sustained volunteerism and substantive contributions over. years and years of service to GNA. Shelby has been a nurse for over 42 years. She has been employed at Athens Regional Medical Center for more than 33 years. She is engaged in a number of community, church and service organizations including the Pilot Club and the League of Women Voters. She was instrumental in setting up the nurse-managed Athens Clinic for the Homeless and currently serves on its Board of Directors. Shelby has been chair of Clarke County’s Board of Health, the Chair of Athens/Clarke County Family Connection Board and the chair of her church council. She has held a variety of GNA elected and appointed positions including two terms as president of District 11, Director of Strategic Planning and as a delegate to ANA Convention. Shelby never misses an opportunity to ask new employees at Athens Regional if they are members of GNA and if they ever respond no! She wants to know “Why not!” Her colleagues have identified her as a champion for nursing, an advocate for the patient and a mentor for nurses as they develop in their profession.
Copyright Georgia Nurses Association Nov 2001-Jan 2002
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