April 28, 2017
A faculty member in Ursuline College’s Breen School of Nursing was honored with the Nursing Excellence Rising Star Award by NEONI, The Center for Health Affairs’ workforce initiative, at the organization’s annual gala on April 27.
Lauren Patton, MSN, RN, coordinator of Ursuline’s new Nursing Resource Center, received this award recognizing emerging nurse leaders, defined as those in a leadership position for less than five years in academia or practice, who are making a difference in leading their team. According to NEONI, which has been coordinating nurse recognition events since 2006, the Rising Star Award winner must:
- Be involved in at least one quality and safety initiative.
- Support his or her inter-professional team environment.
- Be committed to advancing his or her leadership role educationally and/or professionally.
- Have an understanding of the interconnectedness of healthcare finances, and have the desire to share this knowledge.
- Be a member of a professional nursing organization.
Patton meets and exceeds those criteria, according to Breen School Dean Patricia Sharpnack, DNP. “Lauren Patton is an outstanding faculty member and part of the Breen School of Nursing leadership team. She is an exemplary role model and leader. We are honored that she is part of our team, and we know that she is well-deserving of this award.”
Patton received her award at the 2017 NEONI Gala at La Centre in Westlake.
She became coordinator of Ursuline’s Nursing Resource Center in 2015, in the midst of a major building and renovation project at the College. She assumed responsibility for transitioning from an outdated nursing lab to a state-of-the-art nursing resource center in a new building, across campus, in a four-week span. Patton arranged training workshops to educate faculty on the use of new high-fidelity mannequins and scheduled workshops so faculty could develop simulations based on evidence, to enhance critical thinking skills. She continues to supervise and guide faculty with simulations and competency testing to ensure consistency and a very high quality.
Patton is the Chair of Ursuline’s Nursing Education Competency Committee, which develops rubrics and scenarios to evaluate the competency and evaluate students' critical-thinking ability throughout the curriculum. She took the initiative to develop skills videos with embedded critical thinking exercises. She maintains currency by working in the neuro intensive care unit and as a result, brings a valuable expertise to simulation development.
She is completing her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree at Case Western Reserve University and is involved with many nursing organizations, including The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning, the Ohio Consortium of Nursing Learning Labs (OCONLL), the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing 2016. Her research interests include deliberate practice, Debriefing for Meaningful Learning, the use of OSCE’s and areas which investigate transfer of classroom knowledge to practice.
NEONI, The Center for Health Affairs’ workforce initiative, comprises the nursing leadership in academia and practice throughout the region. Since 2000, NEONI has grown to include more than 200 nurses from 74 organizations and 12 counties. NEONI and its members represent hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health organizations, schools of nursing, professional nursing associations as well as other individual healthcare stakeholders.
Above: Breen School of Nursing Dean Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, at left, presents the Nursing Excellence Rising Star Award to Lauren Patton, MSN, RN.
About The Center for Health Affairs
With a rich history as the Northeast Ohio hospital association, dating back to 1916, The Center for Health Affairs serves as the collective voice of hospitals and the source for Northeast Ohio hospital and healthcare information. As the leading advocate for Northeast Ohio hospitals, The Center aims to enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare community and the health of the communities it serves by providing expertise, resources and solutions to address the challenges faced by the region’s healthcare providers. The Center’s efforts focus on areas that benefit member hospitals from a regional approach, including healthcare workforce; emergency preparedness; public policy and advocacy; finance and reimbursement; and community initiatives. And because of its business affiliation with CHAMPS Healthcare, The Center has the resources to provide a broad level of professional services to its members. The Center, located in downtown Cleveland, is proud to advocate on behalf of more than 35 acute-care hospitals located in six counties. For more, visit neohospitals.org. The Center for Health Affairs is honored to be named as one of The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Top Workplaces in 2014 and 2015, as well as to ERC’s NorthCoast99 List in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
