Each year, Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek recognize the contributions of registered nurses to patients, each other, and to the nursing profession through our regional and national Nursing Excellence Awards. We honor nurses who make us all proud to be their colleagues and who inspire us with their dedication, commitment, perseverance, and drive.
Regional Excellence Awards occur throughout the country from April through October. In each region, finalists are chosen and winners are feted at celebratory events. The winners in each region then become finalists for our Nurse of the Year Awards. In Florida, the 2008 Nursing Excellence Gala event will be held Friday, May 30, at the Renaissance Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
Nominations must be submitted online at www.Nurse.com/nursing
excellence/. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 20, 2008.
We have often been asked what makes a ?good? nomination. The first thing to remember is the judges do not know your nominee. They don't see the nurse's name, the name of the nurse's employer, or even the location. The best nominations are detailed and provide specifics and examples that are applicable to the category in which the nurse is nominated.
Here are the questions asked in the nomination form and some tips for answering them:
? What is your candidate's professional role? Don't just give the candidate's job title. Describe what the candidate does.
? How do you know the candidate? Tell the judges if you are a colleague, coworker, teacher, student, friend, relative, etc., as well as how long you have known or worked with the candidate.
? Why should this candidate be selected as a winner? What sets this candidate apart from other nurses? Specific information and examples must be included. Describe how the candidate demonstrates excellence in the chosen category.
? How has the candidate contributed to the nursing profession in general? Here, again, provide details and examples.
? What else should the judges know about your candidate? Include those special details that make this nurse deserving of recognition.
Each of us knows nurses who exemplify all that nursing should be ? nurses we would want to care for us or our loved ones, who have advanced our profession, who mentored us as we moved forward in our careers, and who have gone beyond the call of duty to better the lives of people in their communities.
If you have any questions about the nomination process or the Excellence Awards, please e-mail Beth Ulrich, RN, our senior vice president of professional services, at [email protected].
Hope to see you at this year's gala!
