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Nurses, staff recognized for contributions by Cindy Abole Public Relations Eight MUSC critical care and emergency services nurses, health care professionals and related staff were recognized for excellence and outstanding contributions to health care in the Palmetto state by the South Carolina League for Nursing (SCLN). The 2007 SCLN Award for Excellence was presented to MUSC staff during the group’s annual awards banquet held Nov. 17 in Columbia.   SCLN award recipients include Brian Fletcher, R.N., Clinical Services-Disaster Preparedness; Tom Hubbard, R.N., STICU; Christina Zensen, R.N., MUSC Stroke Program; Janet Byrne, R.N., Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU); Dianne Gay, Division of Critical Care and Emergency Services; Connie Barbour, R.N., MICU; Kristy Conley, MUSC Stroke Program; and Mike Norris, Adult ED.      “This really is an opportunity to recognize MUSC’s unsung heroes who work in critical care and emergency services,” said Sharon DeGrace, R.N., director of Critical Care Services and Emergency Services. “I’m proud of each of  them, especially those men and women who work in non-clinical roles. These individuals support patient care at its best and in a low-profile approach. We couldn’t achieve our daily goals or provide the level of top quality patient care without them.”      Five of the eight awardees traveled to Columbia’s Clarion Town House Hotel to receive the awards presented by SCLN Awards chairman Becky King, R.N. The SCLN Awards also provide funds to support nursing scholarships in South Carolina.      Each year, SCLN sponsors the award for excellence, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence in nursing, provides scholarships to nursing students and co-sponsors a faculty development program with the South Carolina Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Education. The SCLN represents the local arm of the National League for Nursing, whose mission is to promote and improve nursing education, service and research throughout the state. Fletcher has more than 16 years nursing experience in critical care and emergency room management, and another five years as a former critical care paramedic flight nurse. An experienced HAM radio operator, Fletcher also co-founded the statewide S.C. Healthcare Emergency Amateur Team and helped MUSC gain full accreditation of the Chest Pain  Center in 2006. He is MUSC's Clinical Services Disaster Preparedness coordinator. Hubbard is the nurse manager of the hospital’s Level 1 Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU). With more than 14 years nursing experience, Hubbard is a role model for critical care leadership and professional nursing development. He served as interim manager of the Neurosciences ICU and recently led efforts for both units to seek the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Beacon designation. Zensen is the MUSC stroke program manager. Since 2006, she has rallied staff to focus on hospitalwide stroke program goals, and succeeded in helping the medical center gain Joint Commission accreditation as a primary stroke center and without any recommendations for improvement. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary Stroke Steering Committee, Zensen also worked with medical center staff, residents and students to teach stroke care skills and interventions. In May 2006, she formed the Brain Attack Team (BAT) composed of radiology, neurology and pharmacy staff that is trained to respond to stroke patients and provide comprehensive specialty care. For more than three years, Byrne continues to succeed as Medical ICU (MICU) nurse manager. She helped institute an open family visitation policy in the MICU supporting evidence that both patient and family possess a higher degree of satisfaction and security. An experienced critical care nurse, Byrne also launched an interdisciplinary quality team and guided leadership meetings among the MICU staff, and supports quarterly journal clubs to help staff keep pace with emerging technology and practices. Gay is the business manager in the Division of Critical Care and Emergency Services. A dedicated employee, Gay handles all finances and purchasing for the division and provides business support of its 350 employees. For the past six years, she’s been a helpful resource for area nurse managers and assists staff in recruiting and training, plus plan for the division’s annual critical care nurse educational retreat. Barbour wears many hats as a nurse working in the MICU. Within the past five years Barbour has helped orient and mentor numerous students and professional nurses. Since 1996, she has been actively involved with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. She’s helped recruit nurses, attends meetings, and in 2007, assisted in planning the AACN Board of directors meeting and bimonthly AACN local chapter meetings. Conley is the medical center’s stroke statistical analyst with MUSC’s Stroke Program. Working with Zensen, her duties focused on collecting stroke patient data, helping create patient education materials, and contribute to improving patient outcomes. She helped create a stroke education tool packet to aid in documenting data and stroke performance measures, and is a member of the hospital’s stroke steering committee. Norris is the lead emergency department technician working in the adult ED. A dedicated, hard working and compassionate individual, Norris works in a variety of roles, from helping to orient newly hired nurses, techs and other specialists working in the ED to working with new technology equipment and training staff. Recently, Norris was instrumental in the installation of TV monitors in the ED and helped manage the process.     Friday, Dec. 14, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.