Nightingale
Awards for Excellence in Human Caring
March 12, 2010 5pm
2009 Nightingale Awardees
Florence Nightingale, the daughter of a wealthy British family, entered the nursing field in 1845
despite family protests and for the next several decades became a pioneer in the practice of
nursing and a reformer of hospital sanitation methods.
Numerous states and other organizations have established Nightingale
Awards to honor nurses whose professional performance echo
the standards and dedication initially set by Florence Nightingale.
In Colorado, The Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Human Caring was founded in 1985 by the
University of Colorado. For CAHEC, and the other regional AHEC groups who are the primary
implementers of the award process, it serves a dual purpose:
- It identifies a group of very talented, dedicated nurses who deserve recognition, and
- It showcases the professional achievements of nurses throughout Northeastern Colorado which may well encourage young people living in the area to follow in their footsteps
CAHEC solicits nominations on behalf of Registered Nurses (RN) from throughout its region to be
considered for this award. Other AHECs throughout the state conduct similar nomination programs.
The nomination and selection processes are very rigid:
- Initial nominations on behalf of a nurse may be submitted by employers, associates, family and friends
- Nurses may be nominated for their exemplary overall professional performance or for specific incidents during their career
- Those who are nominated are each requested to provide the names of five individuals who are asked to write a personal recommendation for them
- The nominees themselves are required to write a “personal statement” discussing their qualifications
Nominees are honored at CAHEC’s Annual Nightingale banquet in March. In addition, all regional
nominations are reviewed by a committee of nursing professionals which selects nominees to be
considered for the Colorado Florence Nightingale Award. All nurses selected for consideration
are invited to a gala event in Denver each May where one of them will receive the award.
While the Nightingale Awards are presented only to RNs, CAHEC recognizes the important role in
community health played by Licensed Practical Nurses. As a result, the organization also seeks
LPN nominations to be recognized at the regional dinner in March.
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