nursing, nightingale, awards,
July 19, 2021
Oakland University’s School of Nursing and its Board of Visitors have announced the 2021 Nightingale Award winners and runners-up. This year’s top nurses in Michigan come from a variety of clinical roles and settings and are recognized as exceptional in their various nursing roles.
The invaluable role nurses play in healthcare has been made more apparent than ever this past year during the pandemic. These annual awards honor nurses at a time when it’s never been more important to celebrate the profession and acknowledge our gratitude for the crucial role nurses play in our society.
Thanks to generous support from Presenting Sponsor: Ascension Michigan, along with other sponsors, individual donations and support from the School of Nursing Board of Visitors; The Nightingale Awards provides future nurses with scholarships; like the Nightingale Legacy Scholarship. This endowed scholarship will be awarded annually to nursing students who display the pioneering spirit of Florence Nightingale.
“We take our mission of educating and helping to create top nurses in Michigan very seriously,” says OU School of Nursing Dean, Judy Didion, “Our goal is to create more nurses who emulate the spirit and tenacity of Florence Nightingale -- innovative, passionate nurses who can change the world.”
The Nightingale Awards event will be on Thursday, September 2 at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre on OU's campus in Rochester Hills. Each of the 12 Nightingale Award winners will receive a check for $1,000, a solid bronze statue of Florence Nightingale and a Nightingale ceremonial pin. Runners-up will be honored on stage as well and receive a commemorative plaque. Nominees were nominated by their peers, supervisors, and patients in recognition for their superior nursing expertise.
For more information on the event, please contact Kate Lionas in OU School of Nursing at 248-364-8723 or by email at [email protected] or visit oakland.edu/nursing/nightingale.
2021 Nightingale Award Winners & Runners Up:
Excellence in Advanced Practice Nursing
Winner: Ann Marie Ramsey, University of Michigan Health System, Northville, MI
Runner-Up: Shawn Gauvin, Ascension Providence Hospital, Brownstown, MI
OU School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni
Winner: Kathryn Armstrong, Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak, Clarkston, MI
Runner-Up: Gilda Wong, Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak, Redford, MI
Excellence in Education
Winner: Nancy Tena, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI
Runner-Up: Susan Karasinki, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Garden City, MI
Excellence in Research
Winner: Cheryl Larry-Osman Bellamy, Henry Ford Hospital-Detroit, Oak Park, MI
Runner-Up: Karen Dunn, Oakland University School of Nursing, Riverview, MI
Excellence in Nursing Leadership
Winner: Lori Lesner, DMC/Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Waterford, MI
Runner-Up: Marleen Nowakowski, McLaren Macomb, St. Clair, MI
Executive Administration
Winner: Gwen Gnam, Henry Ford Hospital-Detroit, Wyandotte, MI
Runner-Up: Jennifer Dunn, St Joseph Mercy Hospital - Ann Arbor, Milan, MI
Nursing in the Community
Winner: Calandra Green, Oakland County Health Division, Pontiac, MI
Runner-Up: Lisa Marie Levy, Ascension Providence Novi & Southfield, Dearborn, MI
Post-Acute Care & Specialty Nursing
Winner: Sharron Alejandria, Henry Ford Hospital, Windsor, Ontario, CA
Runner-Up: Eileen Blodgett, Beaumont Hospital-Troy, Shelby Township, MI
Staff Nurse (2)
Winner: Noel Baldwin, University of Michigan Health System, Chelsea, MI
Winner: Michelle Turmell, Henry Ford Hospital-Detroit, Canton, MI
Runner-Up: Tami Kirn, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Livonia, MI
Runner-Up: Sandra Pardington, Beaumont -Royal Oak, West Bloomfield, MI
COVID Hero-Staff Nurse Award
Winner: Kelly Schroeder, Henry Ford Hospital-Macomb, Chesterfield, MI
Runner-Up: Sandy Sharp, McLaren Macomb Hospital, Clinton Township, MI
People’s Choice Award
Winner: Irina Ghinescu, Henry Ford Hospital- Macomb, Leonard, MI
Runner-Up: Patricia Danieleski-Grabowski, Henry Ford Hospital-Detroit, Harrison Township, MI