Nurses from Baylor's School of Nursing Named DFW "Greats"
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom
Three faculty members from Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) have been named as part of the 2012 DFW Great 100 Nurses, which is an award designed to recognize professional Registered Nurses for their contributions to their communities and through their practice in the art and science of nursing.
Barbara S. Devitt, MSN, RN, lecturer; Catherine Rosser, Ed.D., director of the undergraduate program; and Cheryl A. Tucker, MSN, RN, CNE, lecturer and undergraduate theory coordinator will participate in an awards ceremony April 11.
"These three faculty exemplify the LHSON faculty commitment to our guiding statement of 'Learn. Lead. Serve," said Shelley Conroy, dean and professor of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. "They exemplify the ways that Baylor nurses integrate faith with service to influence the quality of care provided to the clients they serve, the students they teach, and the profession of nursing."
The DFW Great 100 Nurses are chosen from the more than 15,000 practicing nurses in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas. The one hundred nurses are nominated and selected each year based on their impact on the nursing profession and excellence in areas of leadership, service to the community and compassionate caregiving, said Marsha Dougherty, MSN, RN, lecturer in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
Rosser, who said she has enjoyed serving as a nursing administrator, educator and direct care provider, believes the best part of her career has been as an educator.
"I have practiced nursing in both the Dallas and Fort Worth area and to be selected by my peers based on my contributions to the profession of nursing is a great honor," Rosser said. "The best part of my nursing career has been teaching nursing students. This is the area that I can truly make a difference in the profession. To watch new students enter the profession and help them learn and continue to grow professionally is the most rewarding experience one can have."
Tucker expressed similar sentiments, and said she has benefited from learning as a mentor and as a student.
"After 32 years as a nurse, I am thankful for the opportunity to care for those who are hurting and sick, and in over two decades as a nursing educator, I have been blessed to mentor and train the next generation of nurses," Tucker said. "While walking alongside this next generation of Baylor nurses, our roles have at times reversed, with the students teaching me important lessons themselves, a reality that humbles me to this day. My selection as a DFW Great 100 Nurse is a testament to the loving support of my students, colleagues, and family."
Devitt, Rosser and Tucker said they are grateful for their selections, and hope their work continues to honor the students and peers who nominated them.
"The nominations came from my peers, and when it comes from your peers, as in this instance, one came from a professional nursing organization colleague and the other came from a colleague with whom I work side by side, it's just one of the greatest honors there is," Devitt said. "I am humbled, truly humbled; when you receive recognition such as this, you just keep it in your heart and strive to do more."
About the Louise Herrington School of Nursing
More than 750 and graduate students are enrolled in Baylor's nursing program. Pre-nursing students attend classes on Baylor's Waco campus for two years before completing upper-level and graduate program classes at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing on the Baylor University Medical Center campus in Dallas.
In the 100 years since the Louise Herrington School of Nursing opened, more than 5,300 graduates have gone on to pursue successful nursing careers around the world, with at least 500 graduates serving on the mission field.
The Baylor School of Nursing was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first bachelor of science in nursing degrees were awarded in 1954, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States.
In November 1999, the School was renamed the Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, made a $13 million endowment gift to the school.
The School of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree and a master of science in nursing degrees in advanced neonatal nursing, nursing administration and management, and family nurse practitioner programs, which are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The School also offers a nurse midwifery doctorate in nursing practice (NM/DNP). Nearly 100 percent of Baylor School of Nursing graduates who seek employment upon graduation find a position within one month and most are employed upon graduation.
by Carmen Galvan, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805