IU School of Nursing “Celebrates Nurses and Those Who Teach Them” at Inaugural Event

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU School of Nursing (IUSON) is hosting its first “Celebration of Nursing” Luncheon on Friday, April, 28, 2006 at the Murat Centre’s Arabian Room from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The purpose of this event is to recognize nurses who make an invaluable difference in the delivery of healthcare as well as to honor the individuals who teach them.

Three IUSON awards will be presented to stellar individuals during this special event:

William M. Plater, PhD, executive vice chancellor and dean of the faculties of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) will receive the Doris H. Merritt Service to Nursing Award for his significant impact on the nursing profession;

Janet M. Bingle, vice president for Clinical Standards, Education and Research and chief nursing officer for the Community Health Network will be recognized with the Emily Holmquist Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award for her exemplary contributions to nursing as a professional nurse; and,

The Honorable Barbara Collins, judge of Marion Superior Court, Criminal 8, Indianapolis, will receive the Victoria Champion Boundary Spanning Award for her uncanny ability to create connections between nursing and the legal system.

Three IUSON Alumni Association Awards will be bestowed upon extraordinary individuals:

F. Patrick Robinson, assistant professor, Department of Medical/Surgical Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, who is nationally and internationally recognized for significant professional and academic contributions in the area of HIV/AIDS care will be recognized with the Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award;

Karlene Kerfoot, consultant and nurse executive will be honored with the IUSON Alumni Association Honorary Alumna Award for her outstanding contributions and her dedicated efforts to bring greater recognition to the nursing profession as well as the IU School of Nursing; and,

Lillian Yeager, dean of the IU School of Nursing on the Southeast campus (New Albany, IN), will also receive the Association’s Honorary Alumna Award for her exceptional contributions to the School of Nursing university-wide school system and her dedicated efforts to bring greater recognition to the nursing profession as well.

Cynda Hylton Rushton, DNSc, RN, FAAN is the keynote speaker for the Celebration of Nursing Luncheon. Rushton is an associate professor of Nursing and faculty of the Phoebe Berman Bioethics Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, and program director of the Harriet Lane Compassionate Care Program at The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore. The title of her speech is “21st Century Nightingales: Reclaiming the Essence of Nursing,” focusing on trust, honor, and celebration of nurses and their teachers.

Thanks to generous support from the Mays Chemical Company, the law firm of Baker & Daniels, and Community Health Network, IUSON faculty will attend the April 28th luncheon free of charge. Individual tickets may be purchased for $25 and table sponsorships are available at the Bronze ($500), Silver ($1,000), and Gold ($2,500) levels. For more information, please contact Janet McCully at 274-4293 or Emily Robison at 274-1545.

To learn more about the IU School of Nursing, visit http://nursing.iupui.edu/.