Five Vanderbilt nurses received top honors at the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Nurse of the Year Awards, held last month at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs.
The event, in its sixth year, recognizes nurses who embody leadership, compassion and excellence in patient care across several nursing specialties.
Here are the Vanderbilt winners, by category:
• Pediatric — Cheryl Major, BSN, R.N., Neonatal Outreach Coordinator, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
• Public and Community Health — Sharon Hendrix, DNP, R.N., instructor in Nursing, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN).
• Quality and Risk Management — Mary Lee Lemley, MSN, R.N., Clinical Nurse Specialist, Children’s Hospital.
• Research Nursing — Todd Monroe, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor of Nursing, VUSN.
• Student Nurse of the Year; Graduate — Jennifer Barut, MSN, RN-BC, interim CNO, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Ph.D. candidate, School of Nursing.
“I would like to extend my most sincere congratulations to our Vanderbilt nurses who achieved these remarkable honors,” said Marilyn Dubree, MSN, R.N., Executive Chief Nursing Officer. “They represent excellence in many areas of the Medical Center.”
Linda Norman, DSN, R.N., Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing and dean of VUSN, noted that many of the winners either attended the School of Nursing or teach there.
“It is a pleasure to honor these individuals, who have contributed in many different ways to the continued success of this institution,” she said.
Catherine Ivory, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor of Nursing and Biomedical Informatics at VUSN, served as honorary chairperson of the event.
“These nurses are very deserving of this honor and we are pleased to play a role in saluting these patient champions for the care they provide daily,” added Rita Mitchell, event chairperson and executive vice president and manager of Private Client Services with First Tennessee Bank.
