At its annual conference in Florida last month, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) presented its prestigious Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year Award to Lori Brittingham, MSN, RN, CNS, ACCNS-N, the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Reading Hospital/Tower Health System in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Brittingham holds a faculty position in the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist program at The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Science. The award recognizes an NACNS member for outstanding professional achievement as a CNS in the three spheres of CNS influence. It recognizes a nurse who demonstrates CNS competencies and exemplary practice in patient care, nursing and health care delivery systems.
Brittingham has been a Neonatal CNS for five years. She exemplifies excellence in CNS practice as she mentors nursing staff, maintains quality and safety of the tiniest and most critically ill patients. She has served the larger professional community as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), most recently as president. She earned her BSN at Temple University, and her MSN in the Neonatal CNS track at the University of Pennsylvania.
“It is my great honor to present the Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year Award to Lori Brittingham,” said NACNS Immediate Past President Anne E. Hysong, MSN, APRN, CCNS, ACNS-BC. “She is passionate about mentoring and growing future leaders and about promoting the role of the CNS. She has presented locally, regionally, and nationally on infant developmental care topics, pain management, care of the extremely low birthweight infant, metabolic bone disease of prematurity, neonatal abstinence syndrome, discharge process improvement, and leadership. She does our profession proud!”
The awards bestowed at the conference were given to:
- The CNS of the Year award was given to Lori Brittingham, MSN, RN, CNS, ACCNS-N of Reading Hospital.
- The Susan B. Davidson Award for extraordinary service to NACNS went to Kathy Baker, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, Director, Nursing Research and Scholarship, Texas Christian University Harris School of Nursing.
- The Brenda Lyon Leadership Award, which recognizes extraordinary leadership in service to NACNS, was given to Lisa Hopp, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, Purdue University Northwest.
- The CNS Educator of the Year Award was bestowed on Susan Dresser, MSN, APRN-CNS, CCRN, director of the Adult-Gerontology CNS Program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- The Researcher of the Year Award was given to Susan B. Fowler, PhD, RN, CNRN, FAHA, Nurse Scientist, Center for Nursing Research at Orlando Health.
- The CNS Evidence Based Practice (EBP) / Quality Improvement (QI) of the Year Award – given for the first time – to Maureen Seckel, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCNS, CCRN, FCCM, who serves in the Critical Care CNS role at Christiana Care Health System.
- The Preceptor of the Year award was given to Patricia Radovich, PhD, CNS, FCCM.
- Affiliate of the Year Award was bestowed on the California Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.
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Founded in 1995, The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists is the only association representing the clinical nurse specialist (CNS). CNSs are advanced practice registered nurses who work in a variety of specialties to ensure high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care. As leaders in health care settings, CNSs provide direct patient care and lead initiatives to improve care and clinical outcomes, and reduce costs. NACNS is dedicated to advancing CNS practice and education, removing certification and regulatory barriers, and assuring the public access to quality CNS services.