Atlanta, Ga. – The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) today presented its prestigious Sue B. Davidson Service Award to JoAnne Phillips, DNP, RN, CPPS, a manager for quality and patient safety at Penn Home Care and Hospice Services in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. This 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.
Phillips has been a member of NACNS since 2005 and served in several roles with NACNS, including Chair of the Alarm Fatigue Task Force and serving on the Nominating Committee from 2015-2017. In her role as Chair of the Alarm Fatigue Task Force, Phillips has overseen development of the much-lauded Alarm Fatigue Tool Kit. Her work on alarm fatigue continues through her partnership with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). As co-chair of the 2016-2017 Nominating Committee, she led changes in the selection of candidates for the NACNS ballot, including the implementation of candidate interviews to improve the understanding of the requirements of the elected roles.
She has also publicly spoken at numerous conferences in the U.S. and published research on alarm safety and the role clinical nurse specialist can play in improving care and patient safety.
“JoAnne has been a strong supporter of patient safety and quality and has shared her passion for excellence in these fields with her NACNS colleagues,” said NACNS 2016 President Sharon Horner, PhD, RN, MC-CNS, FAAN. “She is passionate about making positive changes that result in better health outcomes for her patients. NACNS has greatly benefited from her contributions and we look forward to her continued volunteerism for many years to come.”
Phillips earned her BSN from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Ill., her MSN at Widener University in Chester, Pa and her DNP from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, American Nurses Association, National Coalition on Alarm Safety, American Society for Professionals in Patient Safety; Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and its Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter.