Nursing News

UAB Medicine’s Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) and Acute Trauma Care Unit (ATCU) each received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). These awards recognize units that distinguish themselves by providing high-quality patient care in a healthy work environment. With these latest honors, UAB Medicine’s critical-care nursing units have earned five Beacon Awards over the past four years.

UAB Medicine congratulates the 2024 recipients of the Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award, the highest honor available for nursing staff.

UAB Hospital is ranked No. 48 in the United States on Newsweek magazine’s 2024 list of the World’s Best Hospitals, which studied data from 2,400 hospitals across 30 countries. Though not listed among the top 250 worldwide, UAB ranked within the top 50 out of 412 U.S. hospitals surveyed.

Becker’s Hospital Review named UAB Medicine Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) John Petrov to its 2024 list of CHROs and Chief People Officers to Know.

UAB Hospital, which includes UAB Highlands Hospital and UAB’s outpatient clinics, was granted recognition as a Magnet-designated organization today for the sixth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program®. UAB Hospital is only the 19th hospital worldwide to receive this designation six consecutive times and is the only hospital in Alabama designated a Magnet organization.

Christina Humphrey, LMSW, a UAB social worker who serves gynecologic oncology patients, has been named a Legacy of Laura Healthcare Hero for 2024. This award is presented annually by the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation to a health care professional who fosters hope, compassion, positivity, and strength among patients with gynecologic cancer and survivors.

Two individuals from UAB Medicine and the UAB School of Nursing were honored with Leaders in Diversity Awards for 2024 by the Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ): André Lessears – chief diversity officer, UAB Medicine and Somali Nguyen – assistant professor and nurse practitioner, UAB School of Nursing.

Congratulations to the most recent group of nurses who completed UAB Medicine’s Nurse Residency program, which helps newly licensed nurses transition into competent clinical practice. During the 12-month program, nurse residents develop professionally, gain practice knowledge, and learn to improve their skills by implementing a quality improvement or evidence-based practice project.

UAB Medicine Nurse Manager Natalie Fortson, RN, has been accepted into a prestigious leadership fellowship, the NurseTRUST Emerging Leaders Program, which is designed for nurses who are new to leadership roles.

UAB Hospital was designated as a Magnet organization in 2002, 2006, 2011, 2015, and 2019 by the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®.  This prestigious designation recognizes excellence in nursing services.  In February 2024, UAB Hospital is applying for re-designation.

Congratulations to the most recent winner: Caleb Giles, RN! What makes Caleb a DAISY winner? “Recently, Caleb and I walked to our cars together after work, as we usually do. Around 7:45 p.m., on our separate drives home in opposite directions on I-65, Caleb and I were in the middle of a deep and thoughtful conversation regarding how to improve the patient care and experience at UAB Hospital Emergency Department, when Caleb suddenly said, “Oh my goodness, they are doing CPR on the side of the interstate! I’ve got to help.” Without hesitation and full of concern for a random person in medical need, Caleb pulled to the side of the interstate and stated, “I’ll call you back.”  I said “ok,” hung up, and then called his wife so that she was aware of what was happening. Caleb is a true health care hero.”

Congratulations to the most recent winners: Adam Wilson, RN, and Taylor Turner, RN! What makes Adam and Taylor DAISY winners? “Adam Wilson, RN, and Taylor Turner, RN, are assistant nurse managers (ANMs) in the UAB Hospital Emergency Department. Traci Watkins, a call center operator, transferred a call to Adam from a distraught individual who was expressing suicidal and homicidal thoughts and said they planned to kill everyone in the home, including children. Adam and Taylor talked through the situation and remained on the phone with the caller for more than two hours, until help could arrive.