Dean Rosemary Smith was presented with flowers and a Nightingale Award vase from the Board of Visitors

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing (CON) recognized 33 Nightingale nominees for excellence in clinical nursing practice at the 2014 Nightingale Awards Dinner in April.

The outstanding group of nominees from all over Wisconsin exemplify nursing in the image of Florence Nightingale. Nominations are submitted by coworkers, peers, patients, friends and volunteer organizations. More than 140 letters of support highlighted these 33 dedicated and caring Nightingale nominees.

Mary Barker, professor emerita, UW Oshkosh College of Nursing, retired nurse practitioner and Board of Visitors community member representative said, “Each nurse affects the lives of their patients and families in very special ways as they integrate their intelligence and diagnostic and clinical skills with compassionate caring.”

Winners of the Nightingale Award receive engraved commemorative artwork and a $1,000 award. The event is hosted by the UW Oshkosh College of Nursing and the Board of Visitors, with support from local healthcare organizations. “With collaborative support from our Board of Visitors membership, we are able to recognize clinical excellence in all areas of professional nursing,” CON Dean Rosemary Smith said.

2014 Nightingale Award winners from the left: Mark Coenen, BSN, RN; Louann Biddick, MSN, RN, APNP; Rebecca Schettle, BSN, MSN; Dean Rosemary Smith; Kevin Meighan, BSN; and Accepting for Holly Runquist, RN, is Donna Moens. (Not pictured: Patty Walgenbach, BSN).

2014 Nightingale Award Winners

Six nurses were selected as recipients of the prestigious Nightingale Award:

Louann Biddick, ’94 MSN, RN, APNP, works with Agnesian Work and Wellness and Samaritan Health Clinic.

Mark Coenen, ’84 BSN, RN, has served with ThedaStar for 27 years as a flight nurse.

Kevin Meighan, ’09 BSN, public health nurse, works at the Waushara County Health Department to combat heroin and substance abuse.

Elizabeth “Holly” Runquist, RN, home care nurse with Ministry Home Care in Sturgeon Bay.

Rebecca Schettle, BSN, ’14 MSN, works at Mercy Medical Center as an intensive case unit nurse and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

Patty Walgenbach, BSN, Waupun Memorial Hospital employee and serves with the Air National Guard 115th Medical Group.

Additional CON alumni nominated for the Nightingale Awards included:

Diane Cappozzo ’74 BSN
Patti Domask ’87 BSN
Heather Evenson ’08 BSN, ’14 MSN
Mary Jo Kruck ‘80 BSN
Sarah Lehman ‘07 BSN
Dawn Stueber ’04 BSN
Ione Sievert ’87 BSN
Alex Welch ’10 BSN

Find more information about the Nightingale Award.