The Best StaffBWH Nurse - For and about the Nursing Staff of Brigham and Women's HospitalThe Best StaffBWH Nurse - For and about the Nursing Staff of Brigham and Women's Hospital

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The Best Staff

BWH is proud of nurses’ many achievements. BWH Nurse recognizes some of these achievements here. If you or your nurse colleague gains a promotion, earns a new degree or certification or receives an award, please let us know at bwhnurse@partners.org

CDIC Knows Life Support

All the nursing staff and technologists in the Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Interventional Center—which includes the Cath Lab, EP and Cardiovascular Recovery Room—are certified in both Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) by the American Heart Association.

Awards and Honors

Mike Kyller, BSN, RN, CCRN, clinical educator in Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Interventional Center recently was re-appointed to the Founder’s Affiliate Board of Directors, one of the eight national affiliates of the American Heart Association (AHA) that oversees initiatives in New York, New Jersey and New England. Kyller, who has been involved with the AHA for three decades, is the only registered nurse on the 30-member board. As a board member for the next three years, Kyller will advocate for emergency cardiovascular care training and promote the mission of the AHA, assist in distributing research grants and focus on cultural health initiatives and anti-obesity initiatives.
Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery’s Sherilyn Levy, MSN, RN,was named the chairperson-elect of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s Nurses Professional Group and chaired the Nursing Abstract Committee at their national conference in October.

Degrees and Professional Certifications

Barbara Lakatos, DNP, PMHCNS-BC, program manager in Psychiatric Nursing Resource Service, completed her doctorate of nursing practice degree at the University of Connecticut in December. Her clinical practice dissertation was “Outcomes of a Psychiatric Nursing Resource Service.”
Trevor Herrin, MSN, RN, from Shapiro 6 West, earned his master’s of science in nursing from the University of New Hampshire.
Margaret Skelton, RN, of Care Coordination, successfully became certified in professional health care management (CPHM).


MICU staff nurses Lisa Sampson, BSN, RN; John Gianitsis, BSN, RN; Donna Marie Lynch, BSN, RN; and Allison Morgan, BSN, RN, recently earned their CCRN certification in Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Care.Diane Brady, BSN, RN, staff nurse on Shapiro 8, received her bachelor’s degree from Curry College.
Vanessa Gormley, BSN, RN, from Tower 10CD, received her CNRN certification last fall.
Karen Morth, BSN, RN, and David Coito, BSN, RN, both from Shapiro 6 West, earned their CCRN certification in Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Care.
Margaret Siefken, BSN, RN, PCCN, a staff nurse on Tower 15CD, earned her AACN Progressive Care Nursing Certification in December.
Nurse Manager Cindy Jodoin, MHA, BS, RN, and Nurse Educator Michaelle Renard, MS, RN, successfully completed Oncology Nurse Certification (OCN) exam.

Posters, Presentations and Publications

Kristin Alt Styer, MSN, RN, quality program manager in Perioperative Nursing, presented a poster titled “Implementing the W.H.O. Surgical Safety Checklist in a Large, Teaching Hospital” at the OR Manager conference in Las Vegas last October. In addition to Styer, other authors of the poster were Stanley Ashley, MD, Sunil Eappen, MD, Elaine Zive, and Ilona Schmidt.
Martha Jurchak PhD, RN, and Mary Pennington, MSN, RN published “Fostering Moral Agency in New Intensive Care Unit Nurses,” in the Dec. 1 Critical Care Nurse.
A research poster by Priscilla Gazarian, PhD, RN, “Digital Stories: Incorporating Narrative Pedagogy,” was accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Journal of Nursing Education. She also was selected to attend the Quality and Safety Education in Nursing Education Consortium in San Antonio, Texas.
Ginny Silva, MSN, RNC, FNP-C, coordinator of Fetal Therapy and clinical educator at the Center for Labor and Birth, co-authored studies “Predictors of technical success and postnatal biventricular outcome after in utero aortic valvuloplasty for aortic stenosis with evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome,” and “Reversible ductus arteriosus constriction due to maternal indomethacin after fetal intervention for hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact/restrictive atrial septum.” She also spoke at BWH’s first annual conference on Perinatal Palliative Care, “Starting a Perinatal Palliative Care Program.”
At a recent Bay State Chapter of RESOLVE event, Holly Hughes, BSN, RN, presented a poster “The Implications of Nursing Care in Third Party Reproduction,” while Susan Fischer, BSN, RN, presented “Navigating a Fertility Cycle.” Both Hughes and Fischer are registered nurses at the Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery.
Vincent M. Vacca, MSN, RN, CCRN, of the Neuroscience ICU, published “On the Alert for Pulmonary Hypertension,” in December Nursing 2009 issue.

Appointments

Cathy Rowland, MPH, RN, OCN, a staff nurse in Bone Marrow Transplant on Tower 6A since 1988, was named nurse educator in the Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation Service.

The Department of Nursing named two new nurses in-charge in recent months. Kristen Connolly, BSN, RN, and Barbara Mullins, RN, were named NICs for Tower 12C.

Contributions to Teaching


The Gynecology/Oncology Unit nursing team on CWN-7was awarded this year’s Ella Adams Memorial Award for Invaluable and Unforgettable Contributions to Resident Life and Teaching. BWH OB/GYN attending physicians and residents award this recognition annually as an appreciation of the support and encouragement residents receive from nursing staff during their assigned rotation. The award was presented to nursing staff during the residents’ graduation dinner. Above from left, Doreen Landry, RN, Mary Ellen Kottmyer, BSN, RN, Gina Andrews, RN, Lisa Zimmer, BSN, RN, and Vivian Oliverio, RN.