Call for Nominations Nurse PAC Seeking Nominations for the 2010 Carruth Wagner Awards Deadline Date: 2 April 2010   The United States Public Health Service (USPHS), Nurse Professional Advisory Committee (N-PAC) to the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the 2010 Carruth Wagner Awards. These five awards are named in honor of Dr. Carruth Wagner who dedicated his life to improving the health of the Nation. During his 30-year service to the U.S. Government and later contributions to the California Department of Health, he championed the development of medical professionals, future leaders, health policy and innovative public health improvements. He recognized that all levels of health professionals have the capacity to influence, and improve, the health of communities. Dr. Wagner served as the second Director of the Indian Health Service (1962 – 1965), and is credited as a pioneer in developing innovative education and training techniques designed to enhance quality health care providers and proficient management systems to improve health care delivery systems. Each Carruth Wagner Award will include a $1,000 cash award and will require the awardee to complete an Ethics Review Form to be endorsed by their respective agency’s Ethics Officer. The five Carruth Wagner Awards will be presented to each award recipient by the Chief Nurse Officer (CNO) at the Annual Commissioned Officers’ Foundation (COF) Scientific and Training Symposium on Nurse Category Day. Eligibility These awards are open to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) nurses (Civil Service, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, or Tribal I/T/U) as well as nurses nominated from agencies outside HHS. Criteria Nominee(s) must demonstrate through innovation and creativity, outstanding nursing contributions with measurable benefits. Nurses meeting the individual award criteria may be nominated for the any of the following Carruth Wagner Awards: Nurse of the Year Award This award honors the legacy of Dr. Carruth Wagner who valued the importance of nurses in public health. The award acknowledges the nominees successful leadership and contributions to education, training, career development, and mentoring, all of which contribute to building a strong nursing workforce and a strong public health infrastructure. The nominee should demonstrate at least one of the following criteria: Demonstrates strong public health service, leadership and excellence in developing and implementing career development programs to enhance the public health nursing workforce and the retention of nurses. Demonstrates strong mentorship which illustrates the nominee’s assistance to help others not only to pursue but to develop competencies to build their educational and professional goals in developing a strong career in public health. Engages in multiple and creative recruitment services which results in successful recruitment initiatives for the selection and placement of highly qualified health care professionals in areas of need. Directly/indirectly develops and/or improves programs supporting the education and training of health care workers and nurses who may serve in a variety of locations including remote areas and underserved locations. This award is open to all professional nurses in agencies that hire Commissioned Officers; Civil Service Nurses, Indian Health Service Nurses (I/T/U) and Commissioned Corps Nurses. Clinical Nursing Support Award The Clinical Nursing Support award was developed to recognize the ability of ancillary support staff/clinical support staff that offer significant contributions to the public health of the Nation using innovative delivery concepts or health initiatives/policies which directly support and impact the health of a population. The Clinical Nursing Support award nominee should demonstrate at least one of the following characteristics: Outstanding activities or accomplishments within job duties or collateral responsibilities that exemplify devotion, influence, and significant support to and impact on a group, population or community which has resulted in the improvement, development and implementation of a program, delivery system or health of a population. Excellence in demonstrating professional leadership and growth in their role by expanding their expertise, reflecting the development of themselves as future leaders. Extraordinary leadership in public health practice outside of job duties or collateral responsibilities that demonstrates commitment to public service. Innovative or unique way of accomplishing the collaborative effort of the health project, program, or activity. This award is open to all ancillary support staff assigned to an HHS Operating Division or Staff Division (LPN, LVN, Nurse’s Aide, medical secretary, and others). Advanced Practice Nurse Award This award was established to recognize Advanced Practice Nurses who have utilized their advanced degree to contribute to an innovation or program that significantly impacted the health of a community or population. This award is open to all Advanced Practice Nurses. For the purpose of this award, an Advanced Practice Nurse is defined as a nurse who has a post-baccalaureate degree in his/her clinical specialty and is board certified in a nursing specialty (i.e., Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)). The nominee should demonstrate at least one of the following characteristics: The advanced practice nurse should have had a substantial impact on clinical care for an entire community of patients. The nominee has worked with an organized national disease prevention and health promotion program that has made a substantial impact on disease rates, health disparities, and individual patients' lives. The advance practice nurse nominee has made substantial impact in his/her program area of expertise in one of the following areas:  practice, research, education, program management or policy development. This award is open to all professional nurses in agencies that hire Commissioned Officers; Civil Service Nurses, Indian Health Service Nurses (I/T/U) and Commissioned Corps Nurses. Innovative Collaboration in Public Health Award This award was established to recognize professional nurses who have innovatively contributed to successful partnerships or collaborations between countries, programs, agencies, projects or initiatives. This award recognizes the nominee’s successful contributions to building health partnerships and collaborations that foster the development of innovative health delivery systems and healthy populations. The nominee should demonstrate at least one of the following characteristics: Demonstrated excellence in managing or developing a comprehensive program, health project or activity with successful collaborations that affect health and healthcare delivery. Collaborations can be between tribal, local government, nongovernmental organizations and national/global programs, within or outside of HHS. Exemplify clinical or project management expertise that results in a significant impact to health, health diplomacy, improved care delivery or an enhanced public health infrastructure. Demonstrated leadership in developing or implementing innovative strategies to enhance collaboration and partnerships in clinical, administrative, educational, policy or program management initiatives. This award is open to all professional nurses in agencies that hire Commissioned Officers; Civil Service Nurses, Indian Health Service Nurses (I/T/U) and Commissioned Corps Nurses. Nursing Leadership Award This award recognizes professional nurses who have significantly contributed to the retention and recruitment of nurses. This award honors the legacy of Dr. Carruth Wagner who valued the importance of nurses in public health. The award acknowledges the nominees successful leadership and contributions to education, training, career development, and mentoring, all of which contribute to building a strong nursing workforce and a strong public health infrastructure. The nominee should demonstrate at least one of the following criteria: Demonstrates strong public health service, leadership and excellence in developing and implementing career development programs to enhance the public health nursing workforce and the retention of nurses. Demonstrates strong mentorship which illustrates the nominee’s assistance to help others not only to pursue but to develop competencies to build their educational and professional goals in developing a strong career in public health. Engages in multiple and creative recruitment services which results in successful recruitment initiatives for the selection and placement of highly qualified health care professionals in areas of need. Directly/indirectly develops and/or improves programs supporting the education and training of health care workers and nurses who may serve in a variety of locations including remote areas and underserved locations. This award is open to all professional nurses in agencies that hire Commissioned Officers; Civil Service Nurses, Indian Health Service Nurses (I/T/U) and Commissioned Corps Nurses. Nomination Procedure Anyone may nominate an eligible nurse for service that meets the purpose for which these awards have been established. Each Carruth Wagner Award will include a $1,000 cash award and will require the awardee to complete an Ethics Review Form to be endorsed by their respective agency’s Ethics Officer. The Ethics Review Form can be obtained by contacting carol.lincoln@ihs.gov. Nominations will be reviewed by the N-PAC Awards Subcommittee and forwarded to the CNO with recommendations. All Commissioned Officers must be classified as Basic Ready by the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment. Final selection and presentation will be made by the CNO. One award may be given in each category, but an award in every category may not be given every year. Selection will be based solely on the submitted nominations. Submissions must be received electronically by close of business on 2 April 2010, and should be sent directly to CAPT Carol Lincoln, Carruth Wagner Award Team Leader, NPAC Awards Subcommittee, at carol.lincoln@ihs.gov.  Submissions received after 2 April 2010 will not be accepted. CAPT Lincoln can be reached by telephone at 301-443-4872 if you require additional information. Contact information for the nominator and nominee must be included with the nomination. Please provide current e-mail addresses, a physical mailing address for the nominee, PHS# (if nominee is a Commissioned Officer), and current telephone numbers for both the nominator and nominee. All submissions are limited to two pages.   Current Issue Front Page