NEW YORK NURSE: December 2009
Christine O’Dell of Montefiore Medical Center, was awarded the prestigious 2009 Claire Chee Award for Excellence from the Association of Child Neurology Nurses (ACNN). The award recognizes and honors the nurse who, as a member of the ACNN, has rendered distinguished service within the profession of child neurology nursing. The recipient is a nurse who demonstrates, through strength of character and competence, a commitment to the care of children and their families with neurological disorders. O’Dell was selected “because she is an outstanding clinician who specializes in the care of children with epilepsy and their families as clinician, educator, author and researcher.” Described as having established herself as an expert in the field of epilepsy and research, O’Dell has participated in more than 33 clinical trials and grants over the course of her career. She has also contributed to the development of a curriculum for educating school personnel on the management of seizures at school and currently is the coordinator and manager of a multi-center NIH study of prolonged febrile seizures in children.
Erie County Medical Center RNs Marci Connors and Tracy Brown were recently selected as Nurses of the Month by their employer. Connors, a charge nurse, was commended for developing management skills in new staff. Responsible for orienting new staff to the unit, her versatility, willingness to assume new assignments and enthusiasm for mentoring were noted, as were her cooperative efforts in bringing staff together and her attention to ensuring local college students received the very best education when spending evenings on the unit. Brown was described as an exceptional, compassionate nurse, who always has time to smile and offer kind words to her patients. Her versatility was also recognized – after accepting a temporary assignment to the Emergency Department, she became ECMC’s first PRN admission nurse, a position that facilitates the movement of patients from the ED to inpatient floors.