1. Does the student’s academic institution have an affiliation agreement with UW Health?
   • If no, the student’s academic institution’s Clinical Placement Coordinator should initiate this process immediately.
2. Did the student complete onboarding and submitted required documents to myClinicalExchange?
   • If no, work should not continue. Required onboarding and documentation must be completed before the student begins school relate activities at UW Health.
3. Did you, as the sponsor, review and signed the UW Health sponsor form?
   • The student will need to attach the electronic version of this form to the Nursing Student’s Academic Project Submission Form.
   • Did you, as the sponsor complete the Nursing Student’s Academic Project Submission Form together with the student?
4. Does the student’s academic institution require the use of an electronic platform for logging hours and/or evaluations (e.g., Typhoon, Exxat)? What is the sponsor’s role in using these platforms? Or, if no platform, what is the sponsor’s role in logging the student’s hours?
5. How many hours does the student need to complete while doing their project?
6. What cadence for meetings and updates will work best for you and the student?
7. Did the student arrange a meeting with the sponsor, their academic project chair, and themselves?
8. Would the student need to collect data for their project? What kind? Review “Data Use” section of the sponsor guidelines with the student.
9. What are the student’s thoughts/plans for dissemination?
10. What expectations does the sponsor have of the student and vice versa?

How will sponsors learn about student project sponsoring opportunities?

• A student may contact a sponsor directly or they may receive an inquiry from UW Health’s Program Coordinator for System Strategy to discuss their willingness to sponsor a student.
• If interested, the sponsor will be contacted again to finalize necessary UW Health documentation.
• The student will then contact the sponsor to arrange an initial meeting date, at which time you and the student can set up a schedule and determine a plan for moving forward.

What should a sponsor do if they have concerns about the program or the student they are sponsoring?

• If a sponsor has any concerns about the program or a student’s performance, they should attempt to work through the challenge with the student and their faculty advisor. If they have questions about how to manage the situation, please contact NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org

What should the sponsor expect from students?

• Students should demonstrate professionalism.
• Students are all licensed RNs and should observe professional norms related to patient confidentiality, respect and documentation.
• Students should be timely, dressed professionally per UW Health policies (including wearing their student badge) and prepared for project activities in terms of having adequate resources and knowledge.
  • Badging
    • Students should have obtained a badge prior to their first day.
    • Student UW Health badges are expected to be visible and displayed at chest high level while students are on site.
    • Direct students to the Nursing Student Project at UW Health with a Sponsor for more information.
    • If the student experiences issues with their badge access to stock rooms, pharmacy med rooms on the unit, or doors in general, they may need to go to the Badge Office to have the access updated.
• Although students are not expected to know everything on day one, they are expected to be accountable for their own learning needs as they are encountered.
• Students should be leading the project with support and guidance from their sponsor.

What if a student incurs an injury while working with me?

• Students that are UW Health employees, and on UW Health’s payroll, are eligible for coverage under UW Health’s Worker’s Compensation policy should they suffer an occupational injury/illness while in a UW Health site for the rotation experiences.
• Students that are not UW Health employees are not eligible for coverage under UW Health’s Worker’s Compensation policy. Should they suffer an injury/illness students will need work with their school or rely on their personal health insurance coverage.

Refer to UW Health’s Worker’s Compensation Policy 9.17.

If a sponsor agrees to sponsor a student, is it possible for others to also sponsor the same student?

• It is unlikely the student would have multiple sponsors for their project. Have the student confirm with their school whether they can have multiple sponsors and, if so, under what circumstances multiple project sponsors would be appropriate.
• If it is confirmed by the school that multiple sponsors are possible and the additional sponsor is confirmed to be appropriate for the project, contact UW Health’s Nursing Student Placement Coordinator NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org to determine next steps.  
• All students should have a registered nurse with a minimum of a BSN as their sponsor. However, it is recognized some projects may contain a large interprofessional component and the UW Health lead primarily supporting the student may be a non-nurse. 

If a sponsor works out of more than one location (e.g., clinic, hospital), may the student accompany them to these other locations?

• Are the other locations affiliated with UW Health?
  • If yes: The student may accompany their sponsor after onboarding is completed. All student onboarding requirements (e.g., vaccine and TB testing) are the same regardless of clinical location.
  • If no: The student may not accompany their sponsor as they only have the necessary onboarding paperwork completed through UW Health.

How are students evaluated during their projects?

• Students are evaluated on their project work in a variety of ways, including through class assignments and discussions where they are encouraged to give feedback. Faculty advisors may also contact the sponsor to evaluate the student’s performance.

How many students can a sponsor take on at a time?

• We encourage UW Health employees to sponsor only one student at a time.
• If a sponsor feels they can accommodate more than one student at the same time, or sponsoring more than one student would be valuable to advance the work, the sponsor should discuss with their next level leader to determine workload and prioritization of needs.

Once a sponsor agrees to sponsor a student, are they obligated to sponsor students regularly?

• No. We recognize that sponsoring a student is time and energy intensive and do not expect someone to sponsor students every semester. If a sponsor is asked about their interest in sponsoring a student, they should say “no” if timing is not right.

How can a sponsor find more information about sponsoring a graduate nursing student project?

• The Conducting Nursing Student Projects page includes additional information

Who are the key stakeholders during the sponsor selection and project approval processes?

• The student’s academic institution’s Clinical Placement Coordinator
• The student’s faculty advisor
• UW Health’s Nursing Student Placement Coordinator
• UW Health’s Program Coordinator for System Strategy
• The student’s UW Health sponsor
• The student

Understanding skin tone and how it relates to pressure injuries and tissue damage can be challenging, and the issue is widespread. Hospital-acquired pressure injuries affect more than 2.5 million Americans annually. Pressure injuries can lead to poor patient outcomes and longer hospital stays, negatively impacting quality measures and financial reimbursement.

Traditionally, nurses are taught to look for redness to detect first signs of pressure injury, but this is challenging with patients with dark skin tones who require tactile and sensory assessments as well. Under-recognized or misdiagnosed deep-tissue pressure injuries are affecting patients with dark skin tones with greater severity of complications.

That’s why Courtney Maurer, DNP, RN, focused her doctorate project on improving assessment and documentation of pressure injuries for patients with dark skin tones. “As nurses, we are educated in healthcare disparities, but resources on the acute care needs of patients with dark skin tones is limited,” says Courtney. “I did not feel confident in my skin assessment skills for dark skin tones, and I recognized a need for more resources and education that are inclusive of diverse patient populations .”

Courtney first completed a needs assessment to compare current documentation and resources with international guidelines. She collaborated with UW Health’s Burn and Wound Center team and a clinical nurse specialist to create a Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) resource sheet and a video modeling a skin assessment.

With visual examples of different-stage pressure injuries, nurses were able to better identify pressure wounds on dark skin tones. This work led to bringing together UW Health’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team, Nursing Documentation Committee, Center for Clinical Knowledge Management, Nursing Informatics and the Nursing Practice Council—to implement recommended terms in the skin and wound nursing documentation flowsheets in our electronic health record (EHR).

Courtney also worked closely with ICU clinical nurse specialists, skin care nurses, and wound teams in four ICUs at University Hospital, surveying nurses (pre and post) to understand perceptions, attitudes, education and resource availability.

Courtney’s resources are now available on UW Health’s intranet and included in the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing curriculum. “I’ve seen our resource materials laminated at nursing stations and on bulletin boards. The feedback from nurses has been positive and the adoption of documentation changes and resources from other facilities – including Agrace, American Family Children’s Hospital and UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital – has shown the profound need for these resources.”

Courtney hopes this work empowers other nurses to improve processes and education to continue to work together to eliminate healthcare disparities. “As nurses, we feel proud when we know our betterment efforts are what’s right for our patients and ultimately improve the quality of our care and their health outcomes.”

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Check out more stories featuring the great work of our nurses in the 2021 Nursing Annual Report (pdf).

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Volunteering and advocacy work are more than just hobbies to UW Health RN Care Coordinator Jill Kietzke, MSN, RN, BC-ADM, they’re part of who she is. Jill learned the importance of service early in life by watching her parents, both of whom regularly volunteered at their church, with emergency medical services (EMS) and their local chapter of the Lions Club. But it wasn’t until her father passed away in 2017—just a couple months prior to Jill receiving her master’s degree in nursing—that she discovered how much her parents’ legacy would influence her professional and personal life.

“I absolutely underestimated the power of volunteerism until my dad was gone,” says Jill. “I know now that community service and advocacy on behalf of causes I care deeply about is the best way I can honor him and who he was.”

For Jill, that meant not only joining the local chapter of the Lions Club but also volunteering with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), where her passion and expertise about diabetes were quickly recognized as assets to the organization. It wasn’t long before she went from discussing diabetes research, prevention and prescription drug costs with members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, to joining 200 other diabetes advocates on Capitol Hill to spread the word about ADA programs on a national stage.

Jill says that experience, which included meeting the CEO of the American Diabetes Association and listening to a powerful speech by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, solidified her passion to continue the work.

“It was exciting to feel like the work I was doing had the potential to make a difference in the world,” she says.

Since then, Jill has become an “ADA influencer,” routinely engaging in rapid-response communication to legislators about urgent topics impacting people with diabetes and their care. As a result, she was chosen in March 2021 to represent Wisconsinites in a roundtable discussion about medication costs with Governor Tony Evers.  

In addition to her advocacy efforts, Jill also mentors youth with Type 1 diabetes at the Wisconsin Lions Camp every year. As part of the medical staff, she helps to manage Type 1 diabetes in kids while they participate in typical summer camp activities. She says the mentoring that she and others provide at camp can be life changing for these kids because they learn not only from their mentors, but also from other kids their own age who are struggling with the same challenges. She adds that the week she spends volunteering at camp has been life changing for her, too, and that her experience continues to help inform and define her role at UW Health.  

“I feel that volunteering and advocacy on topics that impact my patients’ lives just make me a better nurse,” says Jill. “Going the extra mile really exemplifies what being a UW Health nurse is all about, and I like encouraging all my colleagues to engage in issues they’re passionate about because doing so creates a ripple effect on the care they provide at UW Health.”

Ultimately, being highly skilled and passionate about caring for and serving others goes far beyond the rewards of a job well done—for Jill, it’s personal. “I know that my dad sees all the work I’m doing for others and that he’s cheering me on,” she says. “Just knowing that makes it so much more powerful to me.”

Check out more stories featuring the great work of our nurses in the 2021 Nursing Annual Report (pdf).

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With more than 500,000 registered nurses (RN) retiring by 2022, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the need for 1.1 million new RNs for expansion and replacement of retirees, and to avoid a nursing shortage.

Given these statistics, UW Health is focused on removing any barriers to recruitment. We started an Ambulatory Nurse Residency Program in winter 2020-2021 aimed at helping new nurses transition to their first professional nursing job.

UW Health has 84 clinics and more than 3 million outpatient clinic visits per year, providing nurses with diverse experiences, says Terri White, nursing education specialist and Nurse Residency Program coordinator for our ambulatory clinics.

“There is this notion that new nurses have to work in a hospital setting and take care of sick patients in a hospital, that you can’t work in a clinic setting until later in your career,” Terri says. “But clinic nursing has opportunity for extensive growth. Clinic nurses are critical to the healthcare team, and we are here to give them the training they need to succeed in this demanding and important profession.”

Since burnout is a key contributor to nurses leaving the field early in their careers, UW Health has created a 12-month program to help ensure new nurses are well-trained and become acclimated to stay in the nursing field.

Our ambulatory program began in February 2021. The residency is for new nurses who just finished nursing school, and places them in a clinic setting (ambulatory) with a mentor (preceptor) to learn the job in a real-world setting. Additionally, the nurses take two nursing classes per month, with frequent check-ins and evaluations by program coordinators. The program runs two groups per year and expects to expand their numbers.

“I am so glad the Ambulatory Nurse Residency exists to get nurses into the ambulatory world,” says Kaarina Powell, BSN, RN, current ambulatory nurse resident. “I hope this program continues to grow and provide opportunities for other nurses like me, to help patients in the clinic setting.”

UW Health has been running an inpatient Nurse Residency Program since 2004 that helps new nurses adjust during their first year taking care of patients in hospitals. Since that program began, the first-year retention rate for nurses at UW Health has been (on average) 97 percent. The national average for programs with a nurse residency program is 91 percent. For hospitals that do not have nurse residency programs, the retention rate is 71 percent.

Terri says, “By keeping nurses in the field through a program like ours, we can do our part to address this looming nurse shortage.”

ORs partner with local nursing school

Starting in fall 2021 the UW Health Peri-Operative Departments at American Family Children’s Hospital, The American Center and Madison Surgery Center partnered with the local Edgewood College Nursing program to provide clinical sites for nursing students who were interested in learning more about perioperative nursing.

“These nursing students were provided many hours of didactic and skills/lab-based training prior to starting their clinicals, to ensure they had a solid foundation of the core role and skills needed to function in a perioperative department,” states Tricia Ejzak, MSN, RN, CNOR, Nursing Education Specialist. “Their clinical time was spent with RNs but also included time observing in the many departments of the hospital that provide daily support to the OR, such as Reprocessing, Anesthesia, and Medical Imaging.”

Students were able to observe the surgical experience for our patients from admission to discharge.  “This program will help UW Health attract new graduates to perioperative nursing jobs and prepare them to be able to successfully transition into their new role,” states Laura Ahola, MSN, RN, Director of Surgical Services, American Family Children’s Hospital. “It will also increase retention of these new clinicians and prepare them for the opportunity to become a Certified Nurse of the Operating Room (CNOR).”

The success of the program has built tremendous excitement across UW Health, knowing that the number of clinical site opportunities will be increasing within the organization.

New role to support clinical staff

Given the growing concerns about workforce challenges pertaining to filling licensed/certified clinical roles, a UW Health workgroup began meeting and identified an improvement opportunity to use the framework designed for the RN Helper role (used during the first COVID surge), to create the Nursing Care Partner (NCP) position. The NCP role has been designed to provide support to inpatient staff with tasks that are often time consuming or do not require a clinical background, thereby allowing clinical staff to focus on the care their patients need. The NCP position provides an opportunity for those who are interested in healthcare, but not yet clinically trained, to support our patients and staff in the inpatient setting. 

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Check out more stories featuring the great work of our nurses in the 2021 Nursing Annual Report (pdf).

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UW Health is committed to employing a diverse workforce and cultivating a workplace culture rooted in equity, inclusion and anti-racism. This past year we launched many diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) projects, process improvement work and culturally inclusive care for patients – all for better patient experiences.

DEI language added to nomination forms

With the Nurse Excellence Awards consistently lacking diversity, the Nursing Recognition Council recognized a change was needed. With direction from Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and support from Nichole Lloyd, BSN, RN, Perioperative Services and Council Chair, the council added language to the form to encourage nominations for Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ and/or other historically marginalized group members. “There is much more work ahead, but this was a first step in dismantling systemic racism within our recognition program,” says Nichole. “The Nursing Recognition Council is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment for all who work and receive care here.”

Personal care products added to MyChart bedside are now more inclusive

When a Black patient shared that the hospital’s personal care products were not suitable for his hair and skin, action needed to be taken. Leaders from Nursing, DEI and Procurement Services engaged the Nursing Products and Technology Council to better meet the needs of our diverse patient populations.

“This feedback heightened our awareness, as we always want to do what’s best for our patients,” says Nicole Vlasak, RN, Chair-elect, Nursing Products and Technology Council. “The DEI team helped us find products to offer our patients and we used an assessment tool to make the final selections.” Pictures of these products are now visible on MyChart Bedside, allowing nurses and staff to ask patients what they need, and for patients to choose the products that best meet their needs.

Asian, Asian American/Pacific Islanders find a new sense of community

Linda Xiong, BSN, RN, Associate Nursing Informatics Specialist, helped create an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Asian, Asian American/Pacific Islander employees.

“One of my first tasks was to help draft a message against anti-Asian American violence and racism. I felt a lot of responsibility to ensure that we got it right,” says Linda, who serves as ERG co-chair. “The outpouring of support from colleagues was inspiring. It can feel isolating to be the only person of color in your department. I’m proud that our ERG has created a sense of community and belonging that was not present here before.”

Supporting Latinx community through education and resources

For Loyda Braithwaite , MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, AOCNP, providing the best patient care and giving back, especially for the Latinx community, boils down to doing what’s right. In addition to patient care, Loyda works with local community organizations—including Latino Health Council of Dane County and Catholic Multicultural Center—to provide cancer education to the Latinx community via a monthly radio program and a breast cancer support group.

Check out more stories featuring the great work of our nurses in the 2021 Nursing Annual Report (pdf).

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There are many opportunities for nursing students at UW Health. If you are a nursing student at any academic institution and are interested in conducting a student project or rotation begin the process with the following steps:

1. Nursing student will notifying their academic institution’s Clinical Placement Coordinator to let them know of their desire to complete a student project or rotation at UW Health. The academic institution’s Clinical Placement Coordinator will ensure that an Affiliation Agreement is in place between your academic institution and UW Health. If an Affiliation Agreement is not in place, it is the responsibility of the academic institution’s Clinical Placement Coordinator to complete this process.
2. To ensure students are selecting the correct tract, refer to the table below to find which process to proceed with.

Track	Description of who should apply	Application	Sponsor/Preceptor resources
Nursing graduate student project at UW Health with a sponsor	For graduate students interested in conducting a project with a sponsor as part of a MSN, DNP or PhD program For questions please email: NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org	Nursing student’s academic project submission form	FAQ for sponsoring a nursing student project Sponsoring a graduate (MSN, DNP) nursing student project (pdf)
Nursing undergraduate student project at UW Health with a sponsor	For undergraduate students interested in conducting a project with a sponsor as part of a BSN program For questions please email: NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org	Nursing student’s academic project submission form
Non-clinical Graduate nursing rotation (practicum/residency/mentorship) at UW Health with a preceptor	Students interested in doing a non-clinical rotation with a preceptor as a NES, CNS, manager, and leadership focus as part of an MSN or DNP program. For questions please email: NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org	Work with your school placement coordinator to submit a student placement request through myClinicalExchange (mCE)
Clinical graduate rotation at UW Health with a preceptor	For graduate students interested in doing a clinical rotation with a preceptor as a nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), certified nurse midwifery (CNM), anesthesiologist assistant (AA) and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) For questions please email: app@uwhealth.org	Work with your school placement coordinator to submit a student placement request through myClinicalExchange (mCE)
Clinical undergraduate rotation at UW Health with a preceptor	For undergraduate nursing students interested in obtaining clinical hours with an RN preceptor as required for a nursing program. For questions please email: NursingStudentsProjectsRotations@uwhealth.org	Work with your school placement coordinator to submit a student placement request through myClinicalExchange (mCE)	Preceptor guidelines (pdf)

Each year, we look forward to honoring our Nurse Excellence Award recipients. These awards are extra special because the nominations come from fellow UW Health employees who are so impressed by their colleagues, they want the rest of the world to know just how amazing they are, and how much they contribute to remarkable health care.

Congratulations to our 2023 honorees and nominees.

Meet our 2023 Nursing Excellence Award recipients

Molly Gard, BSN, RN Pediatric Specialties Deming Way Clinic Award: Specialty Care	Nancy Graham, RN Pediatrics Union Corners Clinic Award: Primary Care	Amy Kamps, MSN, RN Operating Room University Hospital Award: Surgical and Procedural Services
Kate Kriva, BSN, RN Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic ICU University Hospital Award: Intensive Care Units	Maureen Lucey, BSN, RN Employee Health Supervisor Employee Health Services Award: Leadership and Advanced Practice	Christine Peot, BSN, RN Progressive Care Unit University Hospital Award: General Medicine and IMC
Jennifer Quinn, BSN, RN Med Flight University Hospital Award: Preceptor/Mentor	Brian Roszak, BSN, RN Medical/Surgical Unit American Family Children’s Hospital Award: Pediatrics	Heather Schoenfeld, CCLS Child Life American Family Children’s Hospital Award: Support Staff: Clinical
Liz Sklenar, BSN, RN Medical/Surgical Floor East Madison Hospital Award: Rising Star	Alicia Marie Sokol Administrative Operations Assistant Employee Health Services Award: Support Staff, Non-clinical	Jennifer Stephenson, BSN, RN Emergency Medicine University Hospital Award: Emergency Services
Dawn Weyh, MSN, RN Transitional Care University Hospital and East Madison Hospital Award: Patient and Care Coordination

Nurse Excellence Award nominees

UW Health recognizes all nominees for their valued contributions to patient care:

Diane Aide Julie Andrews Jennifer Ayers Whitney Beaton Annie Berousek Passang Bhuti Karl Bietz Renee Bobb Kelly Braatz Jessica Branson MaryKay Brekke Leah Bren Andrea Briese Joseph Brown Brooke Camp Foday Ceesay Robin Christianson Kamilee Conaway Anna Cotiangco Shay Daniels-Coleman Courtney Davis Jessica Dellemann Lindsey Derksen Emmanuel Digon-Apuhin Dakota Dohlman Tenzin Dolma Mitch Dunlap Dan Edgette Janice Ferguson Brandon Florence Rhonda Fochs Kayla Foster Robert Foster Holly Francis Molly Gard Halee Gates Robert Gerrietts Christi Goettsche Marie Goke Maureen Wild Gordon Nancy Graham Megan Grassl Sara Graverson Alexa Grefe Andrea Groher Tanner Gruber Naomi Massey Haas Katrina Hall Shannon Hattenhauer Jamie Hayden Nicole Heiden Caitlin Hellenbrand Kassandra Hermanson Jennifer Hildner Jenny Hobson Noreen Hogan Jessica Holguin Meghan Holum Amanda Howard Trevor Johnson Tiffany Jones Gloria Justo Amy Kamps Jody Kessenich Choua Khuy Sadie King Stephanie Kleinschmidt Karlie Klossner Megan Knepfel Cassandra Koczan Amanda Kopp Kate Kriva Jessica Lawler

Veronica Lawrence Julie Lechelt Hayley Lindsey Lucy Lomeli Maureen Lucey Hannah Madej Lachanna Magli Sarah Mamerow Maria Martinez Joanna Mathews Susan Maveus Penney McGinnis Emily McGuigan Janelle McMannes Thomas McNeal Dulce Mellender Emily Menting Jessica Miller Amy Mliner Sahra Mohamud Nick Murphy Heidi O’Brien Grace Odegaard Mitch Oelke Kelly O’Malley Mara Pailing Melissa Paul Sarah Peck Amy Pedersen Rachael Pelkofer Christine Peot Michael Peperkorn Nastassja Petermann Megan Pharo Brittany Pittz Zorina Poast Jennifer Pogoy Emily Preuss Juliana Price Maria Pulver Jennifer Quinn Laura Ramirez LC Rice Dave Rodriguez Patricia Rohrer Brian Roszak Jo Ruegsegger Haley Runchey Kim Schaefer Heather Schoenfeld Christopher Schroeder Rebecca Schutte Katrina Shaughnessy Michael Sivam Liz Sklenar Alicia Marie Sokol Jennifer Stephenson Maria Strommen Katie Sullenbrand Dominica Swartz Kelsey Taylor Caroline Templeton Hannah Tishler Evelyn Tomaino Thupten Tsering Haley Vandehei Shelly VanDenbergh Ana Villagomez-Moreno Teresa Wagner Amanda Weber Meredith Weitz Sara Westra Dawn Weyh Henry Zheng

Celebrating the humanity of our nurses →

Celebrating the humanity of our nurses

National Nurses Week always serves as a special time to honor our remarkable RNs for the compassionate care and clinical expertise they provide to UW Health patients and families all year long.

This year, we’re celebrating our nurses in a unique way — highlighting what brings them joy outside of work — to see and appreciate them beyond their scrubs and masks.

A few of the nurses you’ll see in our tribute video include:

We hope you enjoy our tribute video that celebrates the humanity and inner awesomeness of our nurses.

2023 UW Health Nursing Excellence Awards →

During National Nurses Week May 6-12, UW Health honors our 2022 Nurse Excellence Award recipients for embodying all that it takes to provide remarkable healthcare. These awards are extra special because the nominations come from fellow UW Health employees who want the rest of the world to know the amazing colleagues they work alongside.

Congratulations to all honorees and nominees.

Meet Our 2022 Nursing Excellence Award Recipients

Jacinda Krueger, RN Award: Emergency Medicine University Hospital	Alyssa Weise, BSN, RN General and Intermediate Care University Hospital	Alexa Callahan, BSN, RN Award: Intensive Care Unit University Hospital
Lori Williams, DNP, RN Award: Leadership and Advanced Practice American Family Children’s Hospital	Tyler Houston, BSN, RN Award: Patient and Care Coordination Access Center	Luray Hovey, BSN, RN Award: Pediatrics American Family Children’s Hospital
Mark Ravis, RN Award: Preceptor/Mentor University Hospital	Kimberley Williamson, MSN, RN Award: Primary Care Clinics 1102 S Park St Clinic	Kalyn Sonday, BSN, RN Award: Rising Star East Madison Hospital
Stephanie Blazek Davis, BSN, RN Award: Specialty Clinics Transformations Clinic	Kristin McArdle, MSW, Social Worker Award: Support Staff Clinical American Family Children’s Hospital	Norberto Cruz, Senior Environmental Services Technician Award: Support Staff Non-Clinical University Hospital
Amber Luch, BSN, RN Award: Surgical Procedural Services University Hospital

Nurse Excellence Award Nominees

UW Health recognizes all nominees — more than 150 — for their valued contributions to patient care:

Darcy Acker Kjerstine Adler Susan Antonie Shannan Archibald Ann Arnold Katherine Bacians Lisa Bahr Whitney Beaton Jennifer Beiswenger Jenny Benson Meghan Biddick Angela Bindl Kristin Blackwood Stephanie Blazek Davis Brea Bonafield Dianna Bower Joseph Brown Alexa Callahan Ellen Campbell Abigail Castillo Paulette Christy Kamilee Conaway Norberto Cruz Mary Curwick Michael Dagenais Amber Dalziel Luis Diaz-Barajas Ashley Drake Buba Drammeh Elise Duff Anna Duncan Cruz Duplicate Keri Ferguson Janice Ferguson Jordan Foster Breanne Fourtner Elizabeth Gerndt-Spaith Andrea Geurin Heather Gilbert Rachel Guelker Sally Gulden Jennifer Hackenmiller Jennifer Hankwitz Hillary Hanna Rebecca Harrison Kayla Hazeltine Rebecca Hellenbrand Allison Henke Sheila Henry Erin Heredia Jenny Hobson Meghan Holum Elliotte Houghton Tyler Houston Luray Hovey Kassandra Huffman Mariah Jacobson Marie Jensen Bonnie Johnson Megan Keesey Michael Keller Tamara Kempken Mehring Brianne Kiefert McKenzie Klipp Jennifer Kortyna Jacinda Krueger Desiri Kruse Jenna Larsen Diane Larson Sheila Lehmann Hayley Lindsey Heidi Link Amber Luch Lachanna Magli Janean Marr Kristin McArdle Melanie McCauley Linda McKnight Kimberly McPhee

Wanda Meeteer Alicia Meier Jayci Miles Katie Miller Karen Miller Kayla Mills Jennifer Moore Holly Mucci Margaret Murray Tiffany Nelsen Madeline Norman Heidi O’Brien Catherine O’Connell Cassandra Ortmann Maria Delores Pagas Isabella Penniston Brittany Pittz Amy Plaza-Baji Steven Polenska Paula Pope Jack Propson Janielle Raven Mark Ravis Caitlin Redeker Sheri Reichardt Rachel Ripley Peter Ripp Briane’ Roberts Ashley Robinson Valerie Rust Crystale Sanchez Jamie Schave Robert Scheel Jordyn Schemenauer Erin Schmidt Judy Schmude Brittany Schneeberg Amber Schreiner Alyssa Schroeder Molly Schuman Lyvia Schwantes Kelsie Schwoerer Caitlyn Scianna Sarah Shank Leah Shelerud Jenna Shinstine Erik Sikora Tori Sonday Kalyn Sonday Meagan Spreeman Anna Stawicki Whitney Sterling Maria Strommen Susan Tipple Brenda Trotta Anna Uselman Laura Van Fossen Abbie Vance Rebekah Vermillion Ana Villagomez-Moreno Chad Vinger Emily Wakefield Jami Waterworth Amanda Weber Alyssa Weise Zachary Wells Christa Westenberger Melissa Whitby Jolene Wieczorek Steven Wiese Emily Wilhelmson Lori Williams Kimberley Williamson Maikao Xiong Courtney Younkle Tatiana Zaidi Darnell Ziegler Nicole Zimmerman Kayla Zubke