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On April 16, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing hosted nearly 200 people for the 22nd annual Nightingale Awards ceremony in support of recognizing excellence in clinical nursing.

The event, which was held at the UW Oshkosh Alumni Welcome and Conference Center, honored staff level registered nurses or licensed practical nurses from Wisconsin who spend much of their time directly caring for patients or who have made a substantial difference in the live of their patients and their families.

This year, five winners were selected from the 13 nominees as well as an additional winner that was unable to accept her award in 2014 due to military service commitments.

Major Patty Walgenbach was the 2014 winner; she serves as an emergency room and ICU nurse at Waupun Memorial Hospital, in addition to her profession as a critical care air transport nurse in the Air National Guard. Walgenbach has  been transporting soldiers that are critically injured overseas for 32 years and was deployed at the time of the awards ceremony. Her service in Afghanistan, Germany and Africa has brought countless soldiers home to their families back in the United States.

The five winners from this year come from various cities throughout Wisconsin and also display an unwavering commitment to helping those in need. The winners:

  • Beckie Crisman is a certificated diabetic educator with Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. Beckie is an innovator in the field of diabetic education, creating programs that combine exercise and knowledge.
  • Vicki Goeden Hoch works at St. Agnes Hospital as an emergency room nurse and sexual assault nurse examiner. She works closely with families during difficult periods of their lives and also serves as part of the Organ Donation Team at the hospital.
  • Alison Schneller works at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Appleton. Alison is widely considered an active leader and has presented action plans to other nursing leaders, guided project teams and led process improvement initiates.
  • Nate Wallenfang has dedicated seven years of his nursing career working as an ICU nurse with Aurora Health Care in Green Bay, where he was active on the Cardiovascular Surgical Recovery Team caring for open heart patients. Nate has a confident, professional demeanor with the knowledge and expertise to back it up.
  • Sylvia Eichner McDonald started her nursing career in 1979 at Milwaukee County General and Froedtert Hospital as a neuroscience staff nurse, where she developed and coordinated the startup of a spinal cord injury unit. Since 2009, she has volunteered at the Living Health Community Clinic for the underinsured. She devotes numerous hours to her patients offering expert educational support.


Helping those in need too often goes unnoticed in society; the Nightingale Awards aim to change that and will continue to honor those who show passion and commitment in the field of nursing.

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