2008 Colorado Nurses Association awards.

Each year, Colorado Nurses Association honors members for their contributions at an awards recognition ceremony held during the annual convention meeting. This year an Awards Reception was held on November 7, 2008 in the evening at the Radisson hotel.

This year's reception honored three members as Hall of Fame Inductees and also featured poster displays created by the friends of the recipients. Hall of Fame Inductees received monogrammed vases in recognition of their award. The recipients for the 2008 Hall of Fame Awards were: Dorothy Babcock, Carole Shoffstall, and Judith Frankenburger.

Hall of Fame Inductees

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Dorothy Babcock received posthumous recognition this year for a lifetime of professional accomplishments. Dorothy was a lifetime Colorado Nurses Association member and an active member of DNA 20. Members of her family attended the award recognition.

Dorothy contributed through active participation in DNA 20 including contributions to many educational events hosted by the district. Dorothy also presented individual workshops and seminars for the DNA and for groups throughout the metro area including at Chautauqua on multiple occasions. She served on a state level Education Committee for 13 years.

Dorothy was Professor Emeritus at Metropolitan State College of Denver where she was greatly respected by faculty and students for "exemplifying what a teacher is supposed to be." Dorothy was also recognized for her educational expertise by the University of Colorado Health Science Center's Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses Alumni Outstanding Clinical Practice Award. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, and Pi Gamma Mu, international honor society in social sciences.

She also made an impact internationally through participation in the Friendship Bridge organization which focuses on educating women on ways to move out of poverty. She traveled to Vietnam and Thailand to provide nurse educators with the skills and knowledge to qualify them entrance into a BSN program for nurses. As one result of this program, Thailand recently opened a BSN program for nurses and there are plans to do this also in Korea soon.

As a certified Clinical Nurse Specialist, Dorothy also improved health for her clients. She maintained a private clinical practice and was able to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience. She influenced many of her students to become leaders in their clinical practice areas and many went on to earn advanced degrees. Dorothy's lifelong influence on others continues to have enduring value.

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Judy Frankenburger has used her professional nursing and education to serve in many roles. Beginning nursing with an associates degree, Judy continued to advance her nursing education along the continuum of her career. She obtained her MSN degree from Regis University in 1993.

One of Judy's major focuses in her career has been in emergency and trauma nursing. She has worked in emergency nursing and in supervisory roles in the emergency department both at St Anthony's hospital in Denver and at La Junta Medical Center. Many are familiar with Judy's experience in instructing paramedics and in instruction of ACLS and emergency courses. Judy was also instrumental in creating the Institute of Emergency Medicine at St. Anthony's hospital. She helped establish the "211 phone service" for senior citizen services locally in her area.

After her husband passed away, Judy returned to Pueblo and worked at several facilities there. She also worked at Park View Medical Center, until her retirement from active nursing three years ago.

In addition to her nursing career, Judy has been actively involved with AARP, where she is the coordinator of the AARP Information Center in Colorado. She has presented the AARP "Caring Conversations" program throughout Colorado, and also helped present the AARP computer program of the AARP Health Guide.

She also has participated as a member for seven years on the Consumer Insurance Advisory Board in Colorado. She serves as a State Health Insurance Provider counselor. She is also a TRIAD board member--a senior group of law, sheriff and advocacy members that provide assistance in abuse and elder protection services. She is also a member of the Southern Colorado Regional Emergency & Trauma Advisory Council.

Her CNA involvement includes having served as her district president and her role as Director/ Board Member for the state association. Judy is an inspiration for continuing professional involvement past retirement.

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Dr. Shoffstall's own words best describe her significant contribution to nursing education: "It has been said that the value of one's life can be measured by what one contributes to the next generation. It has been my privilege to be involved in nursing and health science education which gave me the opportunity to have at least a bit of an impact on thousands of students throughout my life. This has brought me joy beyond my wildest expectations and in some way has helped to create a generation of graduates who will continue to contribute to the profession of nursing and other health care disciplines."

Dr. Shoffstall's academic background is in mental health nursing. She obtained her PhD from the University of Maryland. She began her professional nursing career at Beth-El teaching mental health nursing. Her nominator wrote her name is synonymous with Beth El College of Nursing, and she served in the role of Dean for the college for seventeen years. Her contributions there included establishing a Master's degree program for Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Specialists, and also a relatively new Doctorate in Nursing Practice Program. She also initiated development of an Accelerated Nursing Program for second degree students and supported refresher programs for nurses returning to nursing practice.

Dr. Shoffstall also had a pivotal role in facilitating the merger of Beth-El College of Nursing and the Health Sciences with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. This merger has helped to expand educational opportunities for the entire region.

Recently, Beth El announced the establishment of the Shoffstall Endowed Chair in Nursing and Health Sciences at UCCS. Dr. Shoffstall has also made contribution in the fields of violence prevention by the establishment of the Forensic Nursing option at the Master's level at Beth-El; the first educational institution to offer this in the country. A Violence and Prevention Center was also established at the college.

An active CNA member for approximately twenty five years, Dr. Shoffstall also has served on numerous Boards in her community: Colorado Chamber of Commerce, Penrose Hospital Board, Peak Vista Community Health Center Board, Past President--Colorado Council of Nurse Educators, Past President-Colorado Association of Colleges of Nurses, Newborn Hope Corporate Board, and others.

Outstanding Contribution--DNA Level

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One of her colleagues describes her character traits of enthusiasm, persistence, creativity, and commitment as driving traits that enabled her unique contribution to psychiatric mental health nursing.

She is one of the founders of District 31 known as the Colorado Society of Clinical Specialists in Psychiatric Nursing which has become a foundation for the profession in Colorado. She also helped write the DNA 31 bylaws and ethics book. The ethics guidelines were later published and became national guidelines for standards of practice.

She actively represented her district this year on the Sunset Task Force at CNA. She has represented her district on the Colorado Federation of Nursing Organizations. She is the Nominating and By-laws Committee Chair for her district.

Diane was one of the first APNs to be granted hospital privileges at Mt. Airy and Bethesda hospitals. She was the first nurse accepted into the Denver Psychoanalytic Institute and in doing so broke the physician only barrier. She has been a graduate faculty member at the University of Colorado, was Director of Education at Bethesda. After obtaining prescriptive authority privileges she worked at Stout Street Clinic. She has been successful for years in private practice, doing psychotherapy.

Outstanding Contribution--State Level

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Tay is a recent CNA member who has demonstrated significant leadership in her tenure with the association. She is the current Chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee for CNA. Tay supported efforts to help pass HB1023 in 2007 for Advanced Practice Nursing legislation.

When that bill failed, she was instrumental in helping guide strategy and crafting language that would become three APN bills introduced in 2008: HB 1060, 1061, and 1094. Tay was a key player in developing a plan for the passage of these bills. The plan including mailings to every APN in the state, developing an APN List Serve for rapid response to legislative issues, and participation in a multitude of stakeholder meetings.

She additionally helped guide review of research evidence for APN practice, and also supported by legislative contact and testimony at the legislature. Throughout this time, she regularly updated members on issues with up to date commentaries. Her endeavors in the past year will continue to impact APNs in Colorado for years to come.

Sustained Contribution to CNA

Mary was nominated by District 16 for her ongoing contribution since she became a CNA member in 1987. She has held numerous positions for her district including President, President Elect, Secretary/Editor, Treasurer, and DNA 16 Board member. At the state level she has served on many committees: Collective Bargaining Committee, Publicity Committee, Centennial Planning Committee, Membership and Planning Committee. She was an ANA delegate for 2006-2007.

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"A natural leader," Mary increases the visibility of nursing and the Colorado Nurses Association by promoting and arranging Nurses Night at the Rockies. She has done this for the past seven years. Tickets sold out completely for last year's event. She also secured a regular slot for Colorado Nurses Association in the annual Denver St Patrick's Day parade for ten years. For five years, she organized a water, lemonade, and sunscreen stand on a major bike path during Nurses Week.

Mary has demonstrated caring for student nurse colleagues by organizing raffles with prizes at the end of district meetings to raise scholarship funds for students. She is also a true caregiver in her personal life as well and has actively helped the needy and homeless by activities such as; annual holiday drive for DNA 16 to support needy families, recruiting nurses for Project Homeless Connect, participating in the Point in Time Survey sponsored by United Way, volunteering for children's immunizations in August at the Children's Hospital, MLK Day of Volunteerism at the Denver Rescue Mission, and more. She is actively involved in Colorado Emergency Response Team, Colorado Coalition Against Gun Violence, and Kaiser Permanente Crew Volunteer Board.

Virginia Paulson Award

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Lori Rae Hamilton was nominated by District 4 for her dedication to nursing, her nursing leadership, and for her support for local district, state, and national activities. She graduated with her BSN from Texas Tech in 1998. She worked in Anson Texas, then moved to Trinidad, Colorado in 2001. She obtained her MSN in the Fall of 2006 through University of Phoenix. She is now a full time faculty member with Otero Junior college.

In her role at Otero Junior College she has developed intravenous therapy and medical terminology online course. She is now involved in a grant for a mobile simulation unit that will be used for nursing programs and facilities.

She joined her district in 2007 and has served in several roles. She served as a delegate to the 2007 CNA Convention and brought over 30 students to the event. She was elected in 2008 to be Vice President for DNA 4 and also served as the Colorado delegate for the Center for American Nurses at the ANA HOD meeting in Washington in July 2008.

Lori's attitude is described as "always happy, caring, and helpful for students, nurses, or anyone whom she touches. Her professional conduct and example is stellar. She is a rising star for nursing today!"

DNA of the Year

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In the past year, District 30 has emerged to an unprecedented level of activism and advocacy for APN issues and legislation. The passage of the three APN bills this year was the culmination of concerted effort and strategic initiatives heavily supported by District 30 leaders and members. In addition, this district also supported financially the production of the APN Video project to educate on APN roles in Colorado.

District 30, CSAPN, also has one of the largest district membership rosters, an accolade to their continued recruitment of APN members. They continue to focus on educational programs at their monthly meetings, also a benefit for their district members. Their fall seminar also provided educational opportunities.

The APN Bill Strategy was greatly enabled by the following efforts by District 30 members: Legislator contact to support APN Bills, establishment of APN Listserve, APN mailing to all APNs in Colorado, participation in bill planning and strategy sessions, ongoing meeting with stakeholder organizations through CNA, marketing support and consultation, and public communication. Few were probably surprised by this recognition for a district that played an active pivotal role in advancing and supporting APN legislation in Colorado.

DNA Nurses of the Year

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Each year member districts of the association select a Nurse of the Year who has been especially effective at their local district level. This year's winners are:

DNA 3--Geri Tierney

DNA 4--Nancy Whetzel

DNA 7--Sherrod Beall

DNA 9--Kathie Hopkins

DNA 16--Chris Schmidt

DNA 20--Irene Drabek

DNA 23--Agnes Kerr

DNA 31--Diane Lind Dean.