ENA Names Susan Douglass 2024 Judith C. Kelleher Award Recipient

ENA's annual achievement awards recognize exemplary emergency nursing professionals 

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 50 years after taking her first job as an emergency nurse, Susan Douglass, MSN, RN, CEN, carries an enthusiastic and humble tone when she says she couldn't ask for anything more from her "great career."

On Wednesday, something more was added to her prolific story when ENA announced Douglass as the recipient of the 2024 Judith C. Kelleher Award, the association's most prestigious honor bearing the name of its co-founder.

Douglass, of San Antonio, Texas, served in a number of emergency department roles – from bedside to management – over four decades in the hospital setting, but her contributions extended far beyond it. She has been a pediatric and geriatric injury prevention champion in the community and has long-supported emergency nursing education as an instructor of ENA's cornerstone Trauma Nursing Core Course.

"I learned in the ED there's only one way to do it, you give 110 percent to every patient," said Douglass as she expressed disbelief about receiving the award. "I have loved almost every single day of my nursing career. All-in-all, if you focus on your patients, and what your patients need, you're golden."

Douglass' wide-ranging contributions to emergency nursing and in her home state of Texas earned the praise of ENA President Chris Dellinger, MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN.

"From teaching and mentoring emergency nurses throughout her career to giving back to her community as an injury prevention expert and committed advocate, Susan has undoubtedly touched more lives than she could ever know," Dellinger said. "She represents the best of emergency nursing as a shining example of what it means to be a mentor, a caregiver and a dedicated servant to others."

On Wednesday, ENA also announced 12 other individual award recipients, as well as the annual State Council Achievement Awards and this year's Team Awards.

"ENA members show up and stand out in so many ways every single day. This year's awards reflect that by honoring educators, researchers, ED leaders, experienced nurses, new nurses and amazing teams who represent the best of who we are as a nursing specialty and as the premier organization for emergency nurses," Dellinger said.

The 2024 ENA award recipients and other honorees will be recognized during Emergency Nursing 2024 in Las Vegas Sept. 4-7:

Barbara A. Foley Quality, Safety and Injury Prevention Award: Steve Weinman, MS, BSN, RN, EMT-B, NHDP-BC, TCRN, CEN, of New Jersey

Behind the Scenes Award: Raul Escamilla, AAS, EMT-P, of Texas

Clinical Nurse Specialist Award: Tina Nielsen, MS, RN, APNP, ACNS-BC, CEN, of Wisconsin

Crisis Response Team Award: Uvalde Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, of Texas

Frank L. Cole Nurse Practitioner Award: Nancy Denke, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CEN, FAEN, of Arizona

Gail P. Lenehan Advocacy Award: Tammy Aiken, DNP, MSN, RN, SANE, of New York

Lifetime Achievement Award: Gordon Gillespie, DNP, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC, CEN, CPEN, FAAN, FAEN, of Ohio

Nurse Manager Award: Audrey Rosin, MBA, MSN, RN, CEN, of Wisconsin

Nurse Researcher Award: Kate Curtis, PhD, MN, RN, of Australia

Nursing Education Award: Julie Considine, PhD, BN, RN, of Australia

Nursing Practice and Professionalism Award: Jana Petersen, BSN, RN, CEN, of Wisconsin

Pediatric Readiness Improvement Award: Robin Goodman, MSN, CPEN, RN, of California

Rising Star Award: Tyler Bowe, RN, of Wisconsin

State Council/Chapter Government Affairs Award: North Carolina ENA State Council

Team Awards:

• Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas
• Center for Abuse, Rape and Emergency Services (CARES) program team – TriHealth, Ohio
• The University of Kansas Health Systems new graduate groups – Cohorts Peach and Lavender, Kansas

In addition to the individual honors, 10 states – Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington – received 2024 State Council Achievement Awards for their outstanding local efforts last year.

About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

ENA Media Contact:
Dan Campana
Director of Communications
847.460.4017
[email protected]

SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association