EDWARDSVILLE - Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing (SIUE SON) faculty were among the winners at the March of Dimes’ sixth annual Nurse of the Year Award Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch.
SIUE’s Mary Lee Barron, PhD, and Mary Ann Boyd, PhD, were among the more than 20 nurses honored by The March of Dimes for exemplifying an extraordinary level of patient care, compassion and customer service in their respective disciplines.
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“These recognitions clearly point out, once again, that SIUE has esteemed and accomplished nurse educators teaching in our School of Nursing,” said SIUE SON Dean Laura Bernaix, RN, PhD. “Their contributions to the education of nurses and commitment to quality of nursing practice help to set our School apart from others. We are proud and grateful to have them represent our School and University.”
Barron, associate professor in the Department of Family Health and Community Health Nursing, was honored in the advanced practice category. Her clinical areas of expertise include obstetrics/gynecology, natural family planning and fertility health. Named a fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in June 2014, she has authored 12 book chapters and presents widely on topics related to fertility health, breastfeeding health benefits, natural family planning, obesity and pregnancy, and hormone replacement therapy.
Boyd, professor emerita in the Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing, was the winner in the behavioral health category. Her clinical areas of expertise include psychiatric-mental health nursing and geropsychiatric nursing. She is a highly respected healthcare provider, educator, and researcher in the field of mental healthcare in this state, region, nationally and internationally. She has authored multiple books and book chapters on psychiatric nursing, and has published 23 manuscripts in refereed journals.
The SIUE SON also had three alumni win in their respective categories: Jessica Dickman, BS ’07, of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, in infection control and quality risk management; Yvonne Rieger, MSN ’81, of Barnes Jewish Hospital, in surgical services; and Kera Olson, MSN ’08, of Mercy Hospital St. Louis, in women’s health and obstetrics.
The SIUE SON’s Angela Andrews and Amy Reed were finalists in the education category. Andrews is an instructor in the Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing. Reed is an instructor in the Department of Family Health and Community Health.
A selection committee of healthcare professionals reviewed the nominees and narrowed the field to 169 finalists. Nurses employed in the state of Missouri and the Illinois counties of Jersey, Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Monroe and Randolph were eligible.
For more information, visit nurseoftheyear.marchofdimes.org or contact Jessica Eagen at 314-513-9962.
About the March of Dimes
Whether serving as a health care provider, educator, researcher, volunteer and/or advisor, nurses play a critical role in advancing the mission of the March of Dimes, which is to improve the health of all babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The Nurse of the Year initiative supports the mission while recognizing exceptional nurses through the region, celebrating the profession and creating awareness of the strides made in this growing field.
The 2017 Nurse of the Year is presented by Maryville University. Corporate partners include Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Home State Health/envolve, Goldfarb School of Nursing, Nothing Bundt Cakes, MTM, Inc., SSM Health,Webster University and Mercy Healthcare, Inc.
The SIUE School of Nursing’s fully accredited programs are committed to creating excellence in nursing leadership through innovative teaching, evidence-based practice, quality research, patient advocacy and community service. Enrolling nearly 1,400 students in its baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders in pursuit of shaping the nursing profession and impacting the health care environment. SIUE’s undergraduate nursing programs on the Edwardsville campus and the regional campus in Carbondale help to solve the region’s shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and enhance the quality of nursing practice within all patient service venues. The School’s graduate programs prepare nurses for advanced roles in clinical practice, administration and education.
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