NEW YORK NURSE: September 2007
Every year at Convention, awards are conferred on a roster of outstanding nurse leaders. they are truly role models of professional nursing and their stories are full of inspiration.
Pat Kane is an operating room nurse at Staten Island University Hospital North and vice president of NYSNA’s Delegate Assembly. She is particularly active in the DA’s Legislative Committee, the District 13 Political Action Committee, as well as local groups such as the Young Democrats of Richmond County. According to a fellow DA member, Kane “lobbies tirelessly for those who are in need of healthcare services. She brings to the forefront the vital role nursing plays in such a public arena.”
Janice Howard has served as the Legislative Committee Chairman of District 1 since 1997. She has also chaired the NYSNA Council on Legislation. Every other year, Howard organizes a popular meet-the-candidates night for District 1, which is well attended by the candidates as well as by RNs and student nurses. She actively maintains contacts with legislative representatives and has secured their support of the association’s goals. Howard’s activities led to NYSNA’s endorsement of James Hayes, who was then elected to the New York State Assembly. Said a colleague, “When you get an e-mail from Jan to contact your legislative representative, you know it’s important to act immediately.”
Mary Nancy Cordaro has been an active advocate for membership in professional nursing organizations for many years. She was a charter member of the Professional Nurses Association of Suffolk County/District 19 and is a lifetime member of NYSNA. Cordaro has held elected positions in the NYSNA Clinical Practice Unit of Gerontological Nursing and in the Functional Practice Unit of Nurse Administrators. She is a member of the Functional Practice Unit of Retired Nurses and she has attended every NYSNA Convention for the past 30 years. According to a fellow District 19 member, “Nancy will usually be the first to volunteer to go to events where membership can be recruited. She can always be counted on to do what needs to be done.”
Mary Collins currently fills two roles at St. John Fisher College as a professor of education and the Glover-Crafk professor of nursing at the Wegman’s School of Nursing. She has been active in developing a variety of nursing education programs that address issues from rural practice to doctoral degrees. Through her roles as educator, presenter, and advocate, Collins leads by example and inspires students and faculty alike. “First and foremost, she is a nurse who reflects and exemplifies the role model of a nurse in our profession,” said one colleague.
Theresa Terilli is integral to Montefiore Medical Center’s inservice educational program, designing and delivering classes and training to both nursing and non-nursing staff. She provides e-learning modules and is a valuable resource for implementing the clinical information system (CIS) at Montefiore. Terilli balances her technical expertise with an enthusiastic, witty, and hands-on way of interacting with Montefiore staff members. According to one nominator, Terilli’s zeal for nursing captivates and inspires everyone she trains.
Since 1999, Colleen Murphy has co-chaired the Nurse Practice Committee at the Western New York Health Care System in Buffalo. She is responsible for maintaining and updating nursing procedures and standards of care for the facility, and constantly works to incorporate best nursing practices. Over the years she has made a direct impact on patient care by reviewing and implementing changes to procedures and policies. Murphy routinely considers the effects of practice on patients and bedside nurses, and seeks to remove any redundant procedures to safely streamline process. “Colleen is close to nursing and is realistic about the issues that affect nursing practice,” said one colleague.
Lynda Olender has acted as chief nurse executive at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx for the past eight years. Her history of leadership at the facility highlights the importance of continuing education and career development, as well as staff recognition and retention. Olender also champions the nursing profession as a respected occupation both within the field and through outreach to the media. According to a nominator, “her continuous devotion to continuing education, her staff, and the facility has made her work a labor of love for her.”
Susan Odde has volunteered for NYSNA’s Statewide Peer Assistance Network (SPAN) Program for more than five years. Prior to contributing to SPAN, she was a strong advocate for healthcare providers with substance abuse problems in her place of employment. She would often receive referrals of nurses who were seeking an addictions support group, and made the effort to secure a room at her facility where such a group could meet. When she recognizes an individual in need of help, Odde is always ready to provide pamphlets, directions, and encouragement regarding recovery meetings. She stays current in specialized knowledge about substance abuse and shares that information with her peers.
Anne Cardinale is director of the Office for the Aging in Ulster County and is a past president of District 11 of NYSNA. In her role as district president, she had a strong desire to bring nursing to the forefront of the local media. Cardinale’s persistence and working relationship with the editor of the Daily Freeman newspaper paid off in 2003 and 2005 with two “Tribute to Nurses” supplements. Included in the paper during National Nurses Week, the extensive supplements were specifically designed to deliver a positive and powerful image of nursing to the reading audience. “Anne contributed to portraying the mission and realities of nursing by having a dream and making that dream come true,” said a nominator.
Dee Laskowski, as she is known, has been a member of nursing student organizations throughout her years in the nursing program at Suffolk County Community College. She was elected freshman class president of the Nursing Club, then immediately became an active member of the National Student Nurses Association and the Nursing Students Association of New York State. Along with faculty members and students from her school, Laskowski attended NYSNA’s Lobby Day in 2006. She participates in many campus events and numerous community service projects, including those that present the career of nursing to young people. According to one of her professors, “A nursing student must be assertive, optimistic, and enthusiastic. She must be professional in demonstrating care for others. I feel that Dee Laskowski has fulfilled all of the characteristics of a student nursing leader.”