Together with their colleagues in the Department of Nursing, members of the Department of Medicine celebrated the 2nd Annual Nursing Appreciation Day on Friday, May 24. The event was centered on the presentation of this year’s Medical Housestaff Nursing Awards. The award pays tribute to those nurses who not only provide great patient care, but mentor and guide the newest members of the hospital’s medical staff during their first days and months at BWH.
“We are privileged to work closely with all of the excellent nurses at Brigham and Women’s and Faulkner Hospitals,” said Erica Mayer, MD, junior medical resident and chair of this year’s event. “And today we are celebrating ten special nurses who have demonstrated outstanding service to teaching and mentoring.”
Of the 50 nurses nominated, Rhonda Gee, Beverly Morrison, Paul Sedgwick, Nori Vincitorio, June Chong, Kelly Brennan, Eileen Erickson, Jeannette Meyers, Maureen Diperri and Pat Marinelli were selected by a committee of medical residents to receive this year’s Housestaff Nursing Award.
The medical residents, who each personally presented awards to the nurses they nominated, spoke candidly about their experiences and memories.
While each nurse was honored for his or her unique contribution to mentoring and patient care, all nominees and winners had in common a delicate combination of clinical skill, respect and patience to guide these physicians through a tumultuous and emotional start at BWH. As described by one medical resident, “the nurse’s outstanding care for our patients is surpassed only by their care for BWH’s housestaff.”
“The awards and the celebratory lunch are the medical housestaff’s expression of thanks, a natural outgrowth of the warm, collegial relationship shared between BWH physicians and nurses,” said Bruce Levy, MD, co-director of BWH’s medical residency program.