Congratulations to our 2024 DAISY Award for Nurse Educators Honorees!
As part of our celebration of Nursing Professional Development Week, we awarded our first ever DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurse Educators! The Recognition Council would like to thank everyone who participated in the nomination and voting process, as well as our two honorees for their ongoing dedication to our staff and community.
Please join us in congratulating Dedria Sowder, Ambulatory Clinical Educator and Sharon Mckinney, Emergency Services Clinical Educator!
Dedria's Nomination: "Dedria has been with Carilion for nearly 30 years and has been precepting, leading, and teaching for much of her career. Her dedication to evidence-based practice and contributions to the nursing profession are numerous. In 2014, during the same year Dedria completed her master's in nursing education from Jefferson College of Health Sciences, she became adjunct faculty, seizing an opportunity to give back. In March of 2021, Dedria took on the formal role of Clinical Educator for Family and Community Medicine. She joined Nicole Hosey MSN, RN, as the two pioneer ambulatory clinical educators, working side by side to support the professional development of front-line clinical staff in nearly 50 clinics. Additionally, Dedria remains committed to interdisciplinary teaching at VTCSOM. Finally, Dedria is committed to professional advocacy and shaping nursing on a national level. She continues to serve in a variety of both chair and task member positions for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the primary ambulatory nursing organization, the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN).
2021-present AAACN Association for Nursing Professional Development Task Force member
2019-present American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Content Expert for Ambulatory Care Nursing certification exam, Chair
2017-present AAACN Leadership Special Interest Group Advisory Board
2014-present AAACN’s Lippincott Nursing Procedures Task Force member, write and review ambulatory nursing procedures
Finally, both Celeste Fisher and Dedria Sowder are experts guiding the role of the ambulatory preceptor. Carilion is so fortunate to have two of the ten talented individuals across the US, who worked to publish the second edition of the Preceptor Guide for Ambulatory Care Nursing from AAACN. This guide supports nursing professionalism for both preceptor and preceptee, using clear constructs and relevant resources. This scholarly work was presented at the national AAACN conference in April 2024. It is a pleasure to nominate Dedria for this award"
Sharon (Sam)'s Nomination: "Sharon McKinney has been an indispensable force within the Emergency Department and one that has profoundly impacted the careers and lives of hundreds of RN who have passed through it, including some of our very own directors and VPs. With nearly 40 years at Carilion, Sam has excelled in various roles, including RN, CTL, and educator. Upon entering the role of ED clinical educator in 2009, Sam became the first kind face and encounter that our nurses would see when they entered the doors of our department to start orientation. Through interactions with each new hire RN, her sincere kindness, warmth, helpfulness, knowledge, and support helped guide and shape the confidence and nursing practice of countless RNs. Sam’s presence within our department has certainly become a staple and an icon of the ER. Her unwavering emotional investment and dedication to nursing and education are evident in her countless hours of work and her consistent commitment of 110%. The department relies heavily on her expertise, and for years to come, the future of emergency nursing at Carilion has been so positively altered due to her kindness, knowledge, and influence. Over the years, many RNs and come and gone through the department, but Sam has remained. Sam has always been the constant and for that, there is not an individual that crosses through the ED that does not know Sam. For me personally (similarly to so many of us), Sam has provided me with continuous guidance and grace from the time I began as a timid new grad RN to entering my position as a Unit Director. Her expertise and patience have created a positive work and learning environment through every stage of my career. I will never be able to thank her enough for every question she answered, every situation she has helped me navigate, and the communication and leadership practices she has helped teach me. As educators, specifically in this large department, there is already so much on their plate and yet she continues to extend a helping hand and guidance to any individual, as being an educator just seems to be ingrained in her DNA. We cannot possibly thank Sam enough for her compassion, teaching, experience, teamwork, and always going the extra mile! Sam's career is a testament to exceptional service and deserving of the highest recognition and praise."
