The award winners at the annual Nurses Excellence Luncheon and Award Ceremony at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center held Wednesday to celebrate National Nurses Week which is May 6–12 this year. Pictured are Camden Clark President and CEO Sean Smith, Mattie Apperson, Mickala McRay, Amanda Hadley, Hunter Harper, Malane Smith, Amanda McGrady, Jessica Allen and Martha Dawson, vice president of Quality and Patient Safety, Chief Quality Officer, and Interim Chief Nursing Officer. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – Excellence in nursing was celebrated Wednesday at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center in celebration of National Nurses Week which is May 6-12 this year.

As part of National Nurses Week celebrations, Camden Clark hosted its annual Nurses Excellence Luncheon and Award Ceremony, honoring outstanding nurses and clinical staff for their dedication and commitment to patient care. Over 50 people attended the awards ceremony at the Auditorium in the North Tower.

Martha Dawson, vice president of Quality and Patient Safety, Chief Quality Officer, and Interim Chief Nursing Officer, said they gathered to honor the nurses and the excellence they bring to the care of patients each day.

“Our nurses take care of our patients,” she said. “We couldn’t do what we do for our community without our nursing staff.

“Nurse’s Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate them as a whole. This celebration is to really honor the nurses who have been recognized by their peers and showing excellence in the care they provide to their patients.”

Clinical Nurse Manager Jessica Foutty receives the DAISY Nurse Leader Award from Martha Dawson, vice president of Quality and Patient Safety, Chief Quality Officer, and Interim Chief Nursing Officer at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center during its annual Nurses Excellence Luncheon and Award Ceremony in honor of National Nurses Week which is May 6–12 this year. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Nurses at Camden Clark make up the largest portion of their workforce with around 900 nurses across the medical center doing inpatient care, work at clinics and more, Dawson said.

“Nursing is more than a profession, it is a calling,” she said. “It requires not only clinical expertise and critical thinking, but deep and compassionate resilience and an unwavering commitment to those we serve.

“Each of you live out our mission of meeting the healthcare needs of our community for a lifetime in the work you do. Whether you are at the bedside, in leadership, education or in support rolls. Our standards of behavior, compassion, communication, commitment, competence are not just words, they are reflected in the way you care for patients and families during their most vunerable moments.”

The awards presented were:

* Clinic Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) of the Year – Mickala McRay – Medical Oncology

Over 50 people attended the annual Nurses Excellence Luncheon and Award Ceremony Wednesday at the Auditorium in the North Tower. It is National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and the hospital was commemorating excellence in nursing by their staff. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

* Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) of the Year – Mattie Apperson – Residents Clinic

* Clinic Registered Nurse (RN) of the Year – Amanda Hadley – St. Marys Urgent Care

* Patient Care Technician (PCT) of the Year – Jessica Allen – ACU

* Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) of the Year – Amanda McGrady – 3N

* Registered Nurse (RN) Rookie of the Year – Malane Smith – 4N

* Registered Nurse (RN) of the Year – Hunter Harper – ICU

* The DAISY Nurse Leader Award – Jessica Foutty, Clinical Nurse Manager

Harper said it was surprising to be nominated for the award and to win it.

“I have only been doing this for about two-and-a-half years, but I feel so thankful to be nominated for this award,” he said. “I love this job and everyone I work with. It is just a blessing to get to come to work and get to experience all of this.”

He was originally enrolled at Marshall University in biochemistry and then “made the 180 turn to do nursing,” Harper said. “I have never regretted it after that.

“The most fulfilling part of my job is seeing my patients get better,” he said. “My patients are so sick and to see them come back from that and do better is just phenomenal.”

The DAISY Foundation has recognized the compassion and clinical excellence nurses bring to patient care. The DAISY Nurse Leader Award honors leaders who foster an environment where compassionate, high-quality care can thrive, even if they do not provide direct patient care, organizers said.

Foutty said it was a love of people that got her in nursing to begin with.

“I have always enjoyed people,” she said. “I have worked here for a long time and I have grown along side many of the employees that I now manage.

“I have a good understanding of what they are dealing with and their struggles so I try to meet them on their level as a leader to help guide them. We do a lot of recognition just to make sure nurses in the organization feel valued.”

Leadership is leading by example, she said.

“I don’t put anyone in a position to do something that I wouldn’t do myself,” Foutty said. “I like to be present on the floor so my staff knows I can jump in and help whenever they need.

“I know the struggles they go through and try to advocate for them whenever I can so the work is as seamless as possible as nursing is hard.”

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com