On November 27 Connie Vance, RN, PhD, a specialist in the field of nurse education presented “The Mentor Connection in Nursing” as part of a recent Thomas Kloss Lecture. Vance’s topic and discussion were a fitting tribute to five special nurses in the audience who were recognized as BWH’s first candidates for the Miriam Walsh Mentorship Award.
While Vance spoke about the importance of coaching and guiding new nurses who come into the profession, her words echoed the actions of BWH’s Nursing Department. She commended BWH as one of the few institutions to embrace the spirit of mentoring.
As part of Vance’s presentation, the Department of Nursing and the Diversity Fellow, Jacinta Telesford-Ximba, RN, paid tribute to a member of the BWH nursing community who was responsible for exemplifying the highest standards of mentorship — Miriam Walsh, RN, a retired nurse manager. Walsh’s legacy, which spanned 35 years of service, included successfully mentoring many staff nurses from diverse backgrounds. She was also responsible for starting a formal mentorship program at BWH.
The Miriam Walsh Minority Mentorship Award was established in honor of Walsh’s passion and commitment to making BWH’s nursing community a team-orienated and diverse one. The Award recognizes a Registered Nurse who demonstrates a commitment to mentoring minority nurses. “This year’s candidates have all gone above and beyond the call of nursing.
They are talented professionals and role models who have dedicated themselves and their time to the care and development of nurses from diverse cultural backgrounds,” said Telesford-Ximba, RN.
The five finalists for the First Annual Miriam Walsh Minority Mentorship Award included Adesuwa Lee (Float Pool), Sharman Johnson (Unit 16A/B), Perry Ware (CWN 8), Imogene Wisdom (15D/7A/B) and Euris “Shirley” Woodroffe (15D/&7A/B).
This year’s recipient was Woodroffe, who received a $500 monetary award and plaque. Woodroffe donated her award to the Tobin School.