Winners and nominees of the 2024 Nursing Awards of Excellence!

Congratulations to the winners and the nominees of the 2024 Nursing Awards of Excellence! The ceremony was held earlier today and capped off an exciting week for nurses at the MUHC. Presenters and guests at today’s ceremony felt truly honoured to celebrate the accomplishments of remarkable nurses who deliver the highest quality of care. 

And the winner is... 

1 - Lorraine Brown from the Supportive and Palliative Care Program & services - Evelyn Malowany award for clinical practice (individual) 

Lorraine has worked as a palliative care consult nurse at the MUHC for over 10 years. She has excelled in providing compassionate and skilled care to people at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. For instance, Lorraine was able to organize a visit for a patient with small children, understanding that this would be important closure for the patient and something that would impact the family in the future. It was a very touching moment. Lorraine is a leader and true role model respected by her peers.  

Nominees: Noa Pogrebetski, Karen Brown, Melyssa de Simone, Mireille Lemay, Melissa Mercier, Kelly Keating, Nadine Allard, Yacine Ait Akil, Nancy Désir 

 

2 - Coronary care team at the RVH - Evelyn Malowany for clinical practice (team) 

This team has exceptional interpersonal skills when interacting with patients, families and the interdisciplinary team. Many patients, even those who received care 10 years ago, have returned to see the team again and thank them. The team cares for some of the most seriously ill coronary care patients in the province and is also the Code Blue team for the RVH site. 

Nominees: the MUHC team of product consultants; the Glen C10 team; the Lachine ER night team; the MGH ER team; the MCH complex care team; the MCH ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular access team 

 

3 - Terri Leblanc from the MCH Newborn hearing screening program - Isobel Macleod Award for the outstanding work of a licensed practical nurse 

Terri is an experienced, humble, and caring nurse. Beyond her clinical role with PQDSN babies, Terri has trained over 40 nurses across our RUISSS and has put the MUHC on the map, while giving the PQDSN program the recognition it deserves. Terri has masterful hands with our little babies, an exemplary rigor, a calm and gentle approach with parents and mentoring skills with her peers. Terri adapts to all learners; those with different backgrounds, cultures and work experiences. 

Nominees: Aisha Behaz, Josée Ménard, Mouna Moutawakil, Elisabeth Palov, Elraya Elnour Elshiekh 

 

4 - Laurent Viau, PAB at the MCH ER - Laraine Imperial Award recognizing exemplary work by PABs 

Patients and families consistently express appreciation for Laurent's caring attitude, professionalism, and the exceptional level of care received. A family expressed their gratitude for Laurent when he assisted during a lumbar puncture for their newborn. They described him as a big teddy bear. Laurent joined the ED in 2021 but has been with the MUHC for 29 years. 

Nominees: Michel Fournier, James Bulchand, Lurie Bumbateanu, Arie Terner, Danielle Tassé, Gail-Ann Graham  

 

5 - Sonny Colagiacomo, unit coordinator in the MGH-ICU - Laraine Imperial Award highlighting the outstanding work of administrative personnel 

Sonny has the challenging job of encountering families as soon as they enter the ICU for the first time. When he interacts with families, he keeps calm and handles situations with exceptional professionalism and compassion. Sonny makes sure that things run as smoothly as possible in the ICU. He keeps up to date and keeps nurses in check. 

Nominees: Georgia Karabatsos, Maxime Arsenault-Martin, Sandra Fernandez 

 

6 - Tamara Dell'Olio  from the Glen C8 team - the Peggy Sangster Award for excellence in nursing preceptorship 

What sets Tamara apart is her commitment to sharing her knowledge and experience, whether with students, interns, nurses or even nurses-in-charge. She always goes the extra mile to teach new skills or to explain a specific issue. Those who learn from her can develop critical thinking skills to succeed and be more confident as nurses. Tamara provides constructive feedback and creates a healthy learning culture within the unit and at the MUHC. She thus contributes to retention in the organization and the nursing profession. 

Nominees: Pantea Aghamirkarimi, Jeanette Agcaolili 

 

7 - MNH 3rd floor nursing team - Patricia O’Connor Award highlighting an evidence-based project or program 

This team partnered with the nursing directorate to launch the Optimizing the delivery of nursing care project. They conducted a time and motion study, in collaboration with nursing members and a patient partner. They identified direct, indirect and non-value-added activities and worked on two main aspects: communication and documentation. Ultimately, the team was able to improve efficiency, allowing them to have more time with patients. 

 

8 - Daniel Héon, technical pedagogy advisor in the medical multimedia department of the teaching division - Anne-Marie Lejeune award in recognition of the essential contribution of our collaborators 

Daniel has been an essential member of the MUHC multimedia team for over 40 years. With extensive experience in photography and videography, and a master's degree in instructional design, Daniel plays a crucial role in supporting the professional development of caregivers by developing educational and engaging content. He consistently delivers high-quality material.   

Nominees: Teresa Rodgrigues, l’équipe de l’Entretien ménager au 4e du neuro, Yogita Patel, Mario Lucarino 

 

9 - Jasmine Sauvé, interim NPDE on 4th floor & ICU at the Neuro - Franco Carnevale Award recognizing exemplary work in education, research and professional development 

Jasmine is the nursing educator of the MNH 4th floor, where she facilitates the training of dozens of new nurses, LPNs, and staff. Thanks to her support, staff experience an easy transition into their new units. Jasmine is willing to come in on any shift; day, evening, or night . She has even offered to work one weekend out of three to be a resource person for the entire Neuro hospital, with the hopes of promoting retention among all staff at the Neuro. 

 

10 – Nicole Drummond, advanced practice nurse in surgery - New Generation Award recognizing a dynamic professional who stands out from the crowd 

Nicole is recognized for her dedication and her ability to excel in all projects she undertakes. Nicole joined the Comité de la relève infirmière in September 2022 and became the president soon after. She has propelled the voice of young nurses throughout the MUHC through multiple channels and has created several new opportunities. For example, the support for CEPIs who were being assigned to unstable patients. This led her to participate in writing a Règle de Soins about the scope of practice of CEPIs who are not allowed to take care of unstable patients as per the OIIQ. In March of 2023, she also launched the OIIQ study sessions provided by the CRI. 

Nominees: Massinissa Kaci, Chantal Zakko, Vanessa Lavigne, Mary Joanne Diesta, Daniel Da Costa 

 

11 – Siva Moonsamy, Lorine Besel Award, presented to an individual who demonstrates transformational leadership that supports and values the advancement of the nursing profession 

Siva shows admirable leadership in difficult times. Despite staff shortages and morale challenges faced by his team, Siva has remained steadfast, striving to improve the situation. Siva places great importance on communication. He goes above and beyond by personally meeting the night team every Friday morning, ensuring that important information is shared and that everyone feels included in the decision-making process. Siva doesn't hesitate to don a uniform to help out on the unit, which strengthens his bond with staff and highlights his hands-on leadership. 

Nominees: Sze Chan, Marie-Noelle Veilleux, Pierina Fusco, MCH Nursing Resource Managers team, Tara Vaincourt, Christian Du Cap 

 

12 - Joanne Power from C8 at the Glen-RVH - Valerie Shannon Award recognizing someone who has made an outstanding contribution to nursing throughout their whole career 

Joanne is an advanced practice nurse in gynecology oncology at the MUHC. To highlight just one example of Joanne's achievements, which have profoundly improved clinical care, Joanne played a pivotal role in implementing an innovative practice to improve the efficiency and uptake of genetic testing in patients with High-Grade Serous Ovarian cancer (HGSOC) treated at MUHC. This clinical innovation has received national and international recognition and was adopted by many other institutions. 

Joanne has invested considerable effort into strengthening and safeguarding links with Cree and Inuit nations. She has reached out directly to doctors in these remote areas to learn their opinions and to ensure that channels of communication remain open. We have had positive feedback from these doctors, who say that they feel genuinely part of the treatment team and feel supported thanks to Joanne. 

Nominees: Nancy Tze, Pierre Chassé, Sandra Wilson, Yolanda Nicholas