Nurse leaders from Long Island’s hospitals and nursing education programs honored Patricia Woloszyn, DNP, RN, PMHCNS-BC, NPP psychiatric clinical nurse specialist at Stony Brook University Hospital, with the 2022 Nurse of Excellence Award. We’re thrilled to bestow Woloszyn with a second honor by naming her our Nurse of the Week.
The Nurse of Excellence Award Ceremony, hosted by the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC) at the Water Mill in Smithtown, NY, bestows recognition upon their nurse peers. One nurse from the Hospital Council’s member hospitals was nominated for the award, recognizing their outstanding leadership and clinical practice. In addition, deans of area nursing schools also submitted nominations recognizing nursing excellence in education and clinical practice.
East Rockaway resident Woloszyn took the top honor for clinical nursing excellence in a field of 22 nominees. The nominees were selected from about 500 nurses at hospitals and teaching institutions across Long Island.
Woloszyn Recognized for Nurse Excellence
Woloszyn’s achievements in nursing span the clinical, educational, and administrative settings, and she’s known as a change agent by her peers. Woloszyn developed a patient satisfaction survey, facilitated the renovation of a quiet room for staff and patients, and established a novel falls prevention program that offered donated comfort clothing to psychiatric patients rather than a blanket, a fall hazard for patients moving about the unit.
She’s a mentor to her nursing peers and students and is highly committed to quality improvement initiatives that will enhance evidence-based clinical care and outcomes for patients. In addition, as a member of the civilian volunteer Nassau County Medical Reserve Corps, she offers her time and nursing skills to ensure the health and safety of the local community during times of disaster and distress.
“I am absolutely stunned,” Woloszyn said, receiving the award. “It’s an honor to hear everyone else’s stories in this room. All nurses are psychiatric nurses. The heart and soul of what we do is care for our patients – their dignity and respect – no matter our nursing specialty.”
The Hospital Council’s annual salute to nurses is fashioned after the New York State Legislature’s Nurse of Distinction Program ended in 1995. NSHC is one of the few hospital associations in the state to continue this program voluntarily. The NSHC represents Long Island’s not-for-profit and public hospitals.
See the complete listing of he 2022 Nurse of Excellence Award nominees here.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
