Mary S. Fay Essence of Nursing Award Finalists

Marjorie Rogers, BS, RN, CCRN

The ability to provide care calmly and effectively for some of the hospital’s sickest patients and simultaneously teach less experienced nurses makes Marjorie Rogers, BS, RN, CCRN, an asset to the MICU.

“I have never in my career seen her overwhelmed by her own work and unable to help others. She is constantly circling the unit to see if anyone needs anything, even when she herself has the busiest assignment,” said a former participant in the NLN Critical Care Program whom Rogers precepted.

Rogers has served as a preceptor for newly licensed nurses in the MICU, teaching them by her example as they enter the world of intensive care. With her support, encouragement and strong example, these nurses develop the skills and confidence they need to care for patients and communicate with family members. Rogers sets realistic goals for these nurses and helps them discover their strengths.

“Her orientees have learned not only how to be nurses, but what it means to be a nurse,” wrote Carol Daddio Pierce, MS, RN, CCRN, ANP, who led a multidisciplinary group of nominators. “One of Marji’s most significant contributions to the advancement of nursing is serving not only as a preceptor, but as a mentor for the next generation of critical care nurses.”

In addition to her critical care skills, Rogers has the ability to comfort families, no matter how difficult a patient’s situation is. During end-of-life situations, she balances caring for the patient with caring for the family’s emotional needs.

Rogers has worked at BWH since 1979. She received her BSN from Boston College School of Nursing in 1978.

Karen Reilly, BSN, MBA, RN

Karen Reilly, BSN, MBA, RN, evening nurse in charge on 12ABC, is seldom satisfied with the status quo, and she constantly asks how she and colleagues can do something better.

“She continuously seeks opportunities to improve the health of all, whether it is caring for patients and their families, collaborating with physicians or integrating healthy lifestyle choices into her job as coach of her daughter’s basketball team,” nominators Elizabeth Eagan-Bengston, MS, RN, RCEP, Mary Lou Moore, MSN, RN, CCRN, and Kathleen Ryan Avery, MSN, RN, wrote.

Her nomination describes Reilly as a role model noted by her peers as a calm, reassuring, fair presence. “While balancing the added leadership responsibilities of the unit, Karen assures that every detail of her patient care is complete. Karen approaches every patient/family as if they were her own,” her nomination declares.

Reilly shares her expertise with others and is an advocate for all staff. She is pivotal in identifying their learning needs and collaborating with the clinical educator to develop plans for staff to follow. “Karen recognizes that clinical expertise is a continuous journey, and reassures staff that, with perseverance, they, too, will reach that level,” said her nominators.

Reilly is part of the team that develops the content and presentation for the 12th floor unit-based competency sessions. She is a leader on the unit and presents many inservices. She also, after consulting her peers, developed guidelines for shift report and educated staff about improving communication among care providers—the JCAHO’s second national patient safety goal.

Reilly began her nursing career in 1986 at Quincy Hospital. She joined BWH in 1993 as the nurse in charge on 12ABC, where she cares for a wide variety of complex Cardiology patients. She received her BSN at Saint Anselm College and her MBA from UMass Boston.

Marian Fitzgerald, RN

Patients and staff alike on Tower 14AB appreciate the trademark wit of Marian Fitzgerald, RN. Her upbeat personality keeps staff morale high and comforts patients and family members faced with enormous challenges.

“Marian’s humor and positive approach to the staff and patients create an extremely positive and energized atmosphere,” wrote nominator Dorothy Bradley, MSN, RN. “People always walk away from Marian refreshed and usually with smiles on their faces, and at the same time, feeling respected and like they matter.”

While maintaining a sense of humor, Fitzgerald takes her responsibilities seriously, striving to help patients improve and applauding their progress. She is perceptive about the needs of diverse populations and works to ensure those needs are met. “Each and every patient Marian cares for will never forget her compassion, commitment and dedication,” according to her nominator.

Count the newly licensed nurses and nursing students she precepts every year among those who will not forget her. Fitzgerald helps them develop critical thinking skills, teaches them about new technology and unusual patient cases and asks other departments, such as Respiratory Therapy, for written materials to give to her students. “Most often, new graduates say how much they have learned from Marian,” according to her nomination packet. “She continually creates a non-threatening and exciting atmosphere for learning.”

Fitzgerald expresses her compassion and insight at nursing grand rounds, clinical colleague forums and unit inservices. She is always the first to volunteer in pilot projects, and she assists in many research projects.

Fitzgerald has been at BWH since 2000. She received her diploma from the Somerville Hospital School of Nursing in 1979.

MaryAnne Bennett, BSN, RN

MaryAnne Bennett, BSN, RN, is number one on the NICU’s top ten list of expert nurses, from whom nursing peers and physicians alike seek advice and suggestions.

Nominators Marie T. Field, MS, RN, and Deirdre Greene, MS, RN, describe Bennett as “the NICU nurse other NICU nurses would hand pick to care for their own babies. Her expertise at the bedside is not limited just to the clinical arena. Her expertise extends to caring for her peers, NICU families and the NICU work environment.”

It’s because of her forward thinking and careful care planning that Bennett is a sought-after role model. Field and Greene call her “the preceptor for preceptors,” pointing to Bennett’s support of another experienced NICU nurse who was about to be a preceptor for the first time. Together they developed strategies for drawing critical thinking responses from orientees and assessing progress in clinical decision-making. The nurse attributes her success as a preceptor to Bennett’s guidance.

Bennett is a strong advocate for her tiny patients and their families. She was instrumental to establishing one of the NICU’s first parent support groups, which has been the platform for many different groups in the unit, and supported changing the NICU visiting hours to allow parents to be with their babies 24 hours a day. “She empowers families to assume their rightful roles and helps them to be real parents to their babies in the high-tech NICU environment,” according to her nominators.

Bennett is a member of the Neonatal Nurses Association and the NICU New Products Committee, which evaluates products and provides feedback about whether they should be considered for use in the NICU.

Bennett received her diploma from St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a nurse on a med/surg unit at Mount Auburn Hospital and in the medical intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. She received her BSN in 1986 from UMass Boston and has worked in the NICU since.