Restructured Nursing and Patient Care Services Awards and Recognition Program Kicks off in 2014
Beginning this year, the Department of Nursing and Patient Care Services' awards and recognition programs will be restructured to better reflect the department's commitment to celebrating excellence and embracing common ground and teamwork. Going forward, recognition events will be held three times a year:
- Celebrating Differences and Embracing Common Ground - Lotus Award: This celebration will occur in April and honor staff who go above and beyond to create an environment where all employees, patients and their families of diverse cultures, ethnic backgrounds, ages, lifestyles, religion, and physical disabilities feel welcomed and cared for. As part of the event, recipients of our new diversity and inclusivity awards will be announced. Open to everyone at BWH, these awards celebrate individuals who show extraordinary talent and commitment to fostering and advancing a culture of diversity and inclusion.
- Nurse Recognition: Held annually in May, the Nurse Recognition dinner is one of the highlights of BWH's National Nurses Week celebration. In addition to honoring the Essence of Nursing Award recipient and honorees, we will now also acknowledge recipients of the Mary S. Fay Enrichment Award and the Lily Kravitz Nursing Studies Award. Presentation of findings for funded projects will occur during special Nursing Grand Rounds dedicated to BWH Nursing Research, which is also held in May.
- Health Care Associates Awards: These awards highlight the varied and invaluable contributions of members of the health care team, including administrative staff, medical, emergency or patient care assistants, unit coordinators and business specialists. This event will be held in June and take the place of the separate events previously held to honor individual roles, including unit coordinators and patient care assistants.
Lotus Award Nominations due March 7
The open, fully bloomed lotus represents self-awareness and growth to fulfill enlightenment, knowledge and openness.
Nursing and Patient Care Services selected "Lotus" as the title of the new diversity and inclusiveness awards because of the symbolic meaning of the lotus. These awards celebrate individuals who show extraordinary talent and commitment to fostering and advancing a culture of diversity and inclusion at BWH. The award nominations, which are open to everyone in the institution, feature four categories: clinicians; managers; clinical support staff; and non-clinical support staff. For more information and nominations, visit BWHPikeNotes.org.