Nurses Recognition Banquet to be held May 7, 2009

The UW School of Nursing will honor its 2009 Nursing Leadership Award winners at its annual Nurses Recognition Banquet on Thursday, May 7, 2009.

A top hospital administrator, a pioneering sleep researcher, a pediatric nurse and a dean emeritus will be honored at this year’s gala for their significant contributions to nursing through their leadership and commitment to health care.

The banquet will be held at the Seattle Sheraton. For tickets, contact the School of Nursing Office of Advancement: 206-543-3019 or nsevents@u.washington.edu. Learn more about how to become a sponsor of this event.

You also may purchase tickets through the UW Alumni Association: https://go.washington.edu/uwaa/events/2009nurses_recognition_banquet/details.tcl

Outstanding Volunteer Award:

Rheba de Tornyay, Ed.D, FAAN, dean emeritus and member of the school’s Nursing Advisory Board, is being honored for her 34 years of service to the school with the Outstanding Volunteer award. During her 11-year tenure as dean, the school established its PhD program and developed a Continuing Nursing Education program as a separate division within the school. Under de Tornyay’s leadership, the school was ranked No. 1 for the first time in 1984, a ranking it has held ever since. De Tornyay’s commitment to the school continued even after she stepped down as dean. Alongside her husband, de Tornyay established the de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging in 1998, and in 2004, they created the de Tornyay Term Professorship in Healthy Aging. A national leader in healthy aging research and nursing education, de Tornyay continues to support the school through her advisory role.

Distinguished Alumni Award:

Cindy Hecker, RN, BSN ‘80, is the chief nursing officer and senior associate for patient care operations at Harborview Medical Center. She is recognized for enhancing patient care services and safety through the establishment of an after-hours clinic at Harborview for non-emergency care and for increasing the efficiency of the hospital’s pharmacy operations. Her nursing career at Harborview has spanned nearly 30 years, from her days as an RN in surgical acute care through her work on the hospital’s leadership team. She is highly valued by her colleagues for her leadership, dedication, vision and patient-centered approach to care.

Distinguished Research Award:

Carol Landis, DNSc, RN, FAAN, is a professor in the School of Nursing’s Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems. She is an internationally recognized leader in sleep research, especially focused on the health consequences of sleep loss. She is the director of the Biobehavioral Laboratories in the Center for Women’s Health and Gender Research and a former member of the Research Advisory Board for the Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a unit of the National Institutes of Health. Her groundbreaking research career includes current projects such as the Biobehavioral Nursing Research Training Grant and past studies on sleep disturbance in relation to menopause, age and health status. Carol started as an assistant professor at the UW in 1991 after receiving her Doctor of Nursing Science degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and completing post-doctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Chicago.

Distinguished Practice Award:

Leslie Elder, RN, ’91 BSN, pulmonary nurse clinician and care coordinator in Seattle Children’s Division of Pulmonary Medicine, works as the outpatient nurse and discharge coordinator for all patients leaving the division, notably children discharged on a ventilator. An advocate and educator, Leslie works to maintain contact with the families of these patients and engages community members through her service on local committees. Recently, she worked nearly single-handedly to lobby the state Legislature to increase funding for home health care and respite services for these families. According to her colleagues, her work makes it possible for her patients to grow and thrive in their environments and lead happy lives. Leslie continues to practice nursing with compassion and dedication to those she serves.