MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 9, 2013
LONDON, Ontario – The dedication, contribution and achievements of over 3,600 nurses who provide care for patients at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) were celebrated last night at “A Night at the Oscars” nursing gala, an event held in observation of International Nursing Week.
“You are all essential to delivering high-quality and patient-centred care, education, and research,” says LHSC President and CEO Bonnie Adamson. “I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your expertise, passion and commitment to our patients and their families.”
This year, new awards for Point-of-Care Nursing, Nursing Team and Everyday Leadership were presented during the evening’s festivities, held at the London Convention Centre.
“Nurses deserve recognition for their dedication, and commitment to providing and improving the quality of care delivery,” says Dr. Vanessa Burkoski, Vice President / Chief Nursing Executive, Quality, Patient Safety and Professional Practice at LHSC. “The LHSC Nursing Excellence Awards is an opportunity to highlight the extraordinary individual and team practice of nursing in our organization.”
RN Angela Andrews of University Hospital’s Nephrology Department received the Point-of-Care Nursing Award for exemplary clinical, psychological and spiritual leadership on the dialysis unit.
The Nursing Team Award went to the RNs of University Hospital’s 8th Floor Surgical Care Unit, described as a “model unit for the development of confident nurses who embody critical thinking and excellent patient care.”
Krystal Barton, an RN at Victoria Hospital’s Short Stay/Respirology Department, was presented with the Everyday Leadership Award for her work on Continuous Quality Improvement initiatives and what peers described as the embodiment of “LHSC’s core values of respect, trust and collaboration.”
In 1971, the International Council of Nurses designated May 12 – Florence Nightingale’s birthday – as International Nurses Day. In 1985, in recognition of the dedication and accomplishments of the nursing profession, the Canadian minister of health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nursing Week in Canada.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 138 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 65 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Kathy Leblanc
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 74772
Kathy.leblanc@lhsc.on.ca
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