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Randolph Health News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/8/2017 12:00:00 AM EASTERN
Updated: 5/8/2017 2:45:47 PM EASTERN
For more information, contact Paula Richards.
Randolph Health Awards Four Top Honors During Nurses Week

ASHEBORO- Randolph Health will honor its nurses for their contributions for outstanding care during the Annual Nurses Week celebration with a full calendar of special events.

“This week gives us a chance to say ‘thank you’ to our outstanding nurses for the excellent care they provide each and everyday,” notes Tremonteo Crawford, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Randolph Health. “Our nurses are truly amazing individuals and their commitment to the profession is something to celebrate.”

Each year during National Nurse’s Week, Randolph Health’s nurses perform the difficult task of narrowing down a field of excellent candidates to celebrate four outstanding individuals, naming the year’s top nurse, nurse tech, preceptor and rookie.

These awards were established as a means to enable co-workers to recognize their peers for the exceptional work they do every day. Nurses are nominated based on their dedication to the nursing profession, advocacy, team support, educational achievements and community outreach. The final selections were made by a committee comprised of hospital employees, retired nurses and a physician.

This year, Stephanie Smith took top honors, receiving the coveted Mia Curry Nurse of the Year award.

“In every nomination we received for Stephanie, she was described as being an outstanding ambassador for Randolph Health,” said Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Tremonteo Crawford, during the awards ceremony. “She is well respected by her colleagues, patients and family members and often receives compliments during discharge phone calls and patient surveys.”

Crawford added Smith inspires those around her to work as a team and brings out the best in her team members. Randolph County has approximately 600 practicing nurses, 300 of whom work within the Randolph Health System. This is the first time Smith has won the award, named in honor of former Randolph Health nurse, Mia Curry, who was killed in a car accident in 2004.

Curry will always be remembered for her amazing spirit and compassion in which she chose to live her life. She is dearly missed and was a role model to many nurses because of her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. Curry was a teacher, a leader and a mentor to other nurses at Randolph Health. Her caring personality, desire to provide quality patient care and drive to achieve personal goals by attending extra classes and serving on committees, are just a few of the reasons why the nursing administration decided to honor the late Mia Curry.

Stephanie Warren was honored as Nurse Tech, formerly called Nursing Assistant, of the year. “Stephanie is proactive and has tasks completed before I realize something needed to be done,” said Crawford. “Her upbeat attitude and caring spirit show in every aspect of her day.”

In nursing, a preceptor helps incoming nurses move from the classroom to the clinical setting, and this year’s Preceptor of the Year for Randolph Health is Julie Chriscoe. “Julie’s patience and organizational skills combine to help new RNs succeed,” said Crawford. “She models professionalism in her demeanor, communication and customer service.”

To be considered a rookie at Randolph Health, a new nurse must have completed school fewer than two years ago. This year’s Rookie of the Year is Amanda Hilliard-Ziemba. “Since day one, Amanda has been willing to jump in and help any member of the team,” said Crawford. “She is a positive person to be around and is continually lifting up and encouraging those around her.”

“This is truly a celebration, as all our award winners exemplify the true meaning of leadership,” notes Crawford. “With their skill, care and knowledge, they look for new and better ways to provide quality care every day. People are the things that make each and every health system unique. When people leave a health system they often times don’t remember the quality of room they stayed in or the quality of the building, but what they do remember are the people. The people who treated them - the people who provided that care that they will never forget. We are proud of our entire healthcare team and celebrate our award winners for being those people who are never forgotten.”

National Nurses Week is traditionally celebrated from May 6, which is National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

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