FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 24, 2010
Contact: Debra Williams
(662) 329-7119
ddw2@muw.edu

MUW nursing graduates nominated for Nightingale Awards

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Nine graduates of Mississippi University for Women’s College of Nursing were recently nominated for Nightingale Awards sponsored by the Mississippi Nurses Association and the Mississippi Nurses Foundation.

Winning Nurse of the Year was Mary Trinita Eddington, a 1994 graduate, was inducted into the Mississippi Nurses Association Hall of Fame. She is a 1996 graduate Lisa Byrd, who is a board certified family nurse practitioner at the Bolton Family Clinic in Madison. Sisterboard certified advance practice nurse at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. Both recipients graduated from the Master of Science in Nursing Program at MUW.

Other MUW graduates who were nominated: Debra Rhinewalt and Johnny Judson of Columbus, Monica Loden of Amory, Emily Fite of Goodman, Michelle Palokas of Brandon, Contessa Fields and Shellie Burks of Tupelo.

Dr. Sheila Adams, dean of the MUW nursing college, said, “We continue to have our nursing graduates recognized at the state and national levels with prestigious awards such as the Nightingale Awards.”

In 2009 and 2008, Dr. Mary Ware and Dr. Mary Pat Curtis, prior program directors, as well as other MUW graduates were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Last year, Dr. Marcella McKay, a prior graduate and vice president of the Mississippi Hospital Association received the award for nurse in a non-traditional setting. Adams and the MUW College of Nursing were recognized and honored in 2007 for administrator and school of the year.

“This type of recognition attests to the ongoing excellence of our graduates and our nursing programs. We are proud of all our graduates and of their many accomplishments and recognitions,” Adams added.