Philadelphia, PA – The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) today presented its prestigious Sue B. Davidson Service Award to Melanie Duffy, MSN, RN, CCRN, CCNS, a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in critical care at Pinnacle Health System in Harrisburg, Pa. and adjunct faculty in the nursing programs at the University of Detroit Mercy, Widener University, and York College. The Award recognizes extraordinary service to NACNS. It is named for Susan B. Davidson, a founding member of NACNS who served two terms as President of the association and chaired the NACNS Research Committee. The Award was presented at NACNS’ Annual Conference.
Duffy has served in several roles with NACNS, including Chair of the Legislative/Regulatory Committee, President, Vice President and Board Member. In her role as Chair of the Legislative/Regulatory Committee, Duffy has updated NACNS members on a range of issues affecting CNS practice. She has also spoken at a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill about the role the CNS plays in improving care, and at numerous conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
“Melanie was instrumental in drafting and passing legislation to ensure CNS Title Protection in Pennsylvania,” said NACNS 2016 President Sharon Horner, PhD, RN, MC-CNS, FAAN. “She has been extremely active in NACNS. In addition to her roles on the Board, she was the editor of the first and second editions of Clinical Nurse Specialist Toolkit, A Guide for the New Clinical Nurse Specialist.”
Duffy earned her BSN from Bloomsburg State College in Bloomsburg, Pa. and her MSN from Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing, American Nurses Association, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.