March of Dimes Washington Chapter seeks nominations for Nurse of the Year awards

If you have been touched by the work and caring of an exceptional nurse submit a nomination and join us in recognizing these caregivers whose extraordinary efforts stand out. The March of Dimes Washington Chapter is celebrating its 12th year in honoring the best and brightest of our local nurses for the Washington Nurse of the Year Awards with an exciting expansion of the event. For the first time this year, nominations for these exceptional nurses will be accepted statewide. The event, which will be held on November 20th at the Meydenbauer Conference Center, is presented by Premera Blue Cross.

The 2014 Nurse of the Year Chair is Kathy Bressler, RN and President of St. Clare Hospital. Additionally, she serves as the Executive for Franciscan Health System Perioperative Services, Mental Health Services and Women’s & Children’s Services. “I believe that nursing is immensely important to the health and well-being of our community,” said Ms. Bressler. “I consider it an honor to serve in this role, and I am excited that the March of Dimes will acknowledge many of the gifted nurses who make exceptional contributions that often go unrecognized.”

Ms. Bressler has been an integral part of Franciscan Health System since 1990, starting as a nurse manager at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. Today, Ms. Bressler is President of St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, one of seven hospitals in the Franciscan system. As the head administrator, Kathy is responsible for daily operations, as well as strategic planning and development, physician relations and financial performance. Ms. Bressler received her Masters of Nursing degree with a concentration in Community and Leadership from the University of Washington (UW) at Tacoma in 2000.

Nominations are being accepted through September 5, 2014. Nomination forms can be found online at www.marchofdimes.com/washington, or obtained by calling 206-624-1373.

Proceeds from the event will benefit March of Dimes maternal and child health programs. Individual tickets, tables and sponsorships are available through the March of Dimes at (206) 624-1373, or online at www.marchofdimes/washington . Individual tickets for the event are $50. Table sponsorships are $1,500.

RNs working at all staff levels in Washington who are in good standing with the Washington State Nursing Commission and have been a resident of Washington for at least one year are eligible to be nominated. In addition, any student currently enrolled in a nursing program in Washington is eligible for the New Generation category. Nominations for Nurse Case Managers are also encouraged.

Award categories for the 2014 Nurse of the Year program are: