The Best Staff
BWH is proud of nurses’ many achievements. Each month, BWH Nurse recognizes some of these achievements here. If you or your nurse colleague gains a promotion, earns a new degree or certification or receives an award, please let us know at bwhnurse@partners.org
Awards and Honors
Vincent M. Vacca, Jr., MSN, RN, CCRN, nurse educator for the Neurosciences ICU on Tower 9 CD, was elected as treasurer for the Boston Chapter of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.
Degrees and Professional Certifications
Margaret Costello, PhD, RN, a NIC on Tower 15D, completed a PhD in health professions education at Simmons College in January.
Cara Richoux, BSN, RN, CCRN; Leslie Sabatino, BSN, RN, CCRN; Theresa Seeley, BSN, RN, CCRN; and Susan Gabriel, BSN, RN, CCRN, earned their CCRN certification from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
La Toia Alexandre, BSN, RN, from the Burn/Trauma ICU on Tower 8C, earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Framingham State College in December.
Several BWH nurses recently earned their certification in progressive care nursing from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. They are: Stephanie Bartelt, BSN, RN, PCCN; Bianca Puzniak, BSN, RN, PCCN; Sara Stankiewicz, BSN, RN, PCCN, Divina Rafanan, BSN, RN, PCCN, all from Tower 14CD; Lauren Greenwald, BSN, RN, PCCN, from Tower 10AB, and
Christine Smith, MSN, RN, PCCN, a clinical educator on Tower 14AB;
Posters, Presentations and Publications
Carol Daddio Pierce, MS, CCRN, ACNP, presented a clinical program entitled “Hemodynamics in Shock States, Sepsis and Mechanical Ventilation,” at Simmons College in November.
Elyse Mandell, APRN, BC, nurse practitioner and nurse manager for the Division of Hematology, presented a poster entitled “The Use of Suboxone to Treat Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease” at the National Sickle Cell Association meeting in Hollywood, Fla., in February.
Deborah O’Connor, MS, RN, Nursing director for Hem/Onc/BMT, will present a poster, “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Fall Risk Communication Reduces Falls with Injuries on a n Oncology Inpatient Unit,” at the Oncology Nursing Society’s 35th annual Congress in San Diego in May. In addition to O’Connor, several BWHers contributed to this poster, including Rebecca Spitz, BSN, RN, Sara Close, PA-C, Daniel Voit, PharmD, Anne McDonnell, PharmD, and Escel Stanghellini, MSN, RN, Nursing quality program manager for Hem/Onc/BMT.
Carolyn Hayes, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, director of Oncology Nursing and Clinical Services, and Martha Jurchak, PhD, RN, director of the BWH Ethics Service, and others published an article, “Communication and Planning at the End of Life: A Survey of Women with Advanced Stage Breast Cancer,” in the Journal of Communication in Healthcare.