RN All-Stars
Nursing's best and brightest shine during annual awards

By Barbara Brown, Ed.D., RN, FAAN, Editor, Mountain West Edition
September 10, 2001

What an awesome honor to preside over the first NurseWeek -Mountain West Nursing Excellence Awards ceremony Aug. 11 in Las Vegas. The stars were out at Harrah's as we celebrated and honored the best nurses of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

As I witnessed the awe-inspiring stories of dedication, skill, contributions, courage, vision and humility of these special nurses, I felt as if I was at the Academy Awards of nursing.

NurseWeek is honored to bring together the Mountain West nursing communities in selecting the cream of the crop of nurses who impart confidence, provide inspiration and represent a vision of nursing excellence in their communities. These nurses have demonstrated a high level of self-direction for goal accomplishment toward the future.

We were privileged to come together at this special event to honor the distinct and diverse quintessence of nursing. The nurses who were recognized are multitalented, first-class professionals who exemplify the essence of caring and commitment to their patients and their communities. As each nurse's story was told, the unique contributions in each category made it evident that nursing as a profession is alive and well.

I especially enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many family members of the honorees and the wonderful colleague support shown by the more than 200 in attendance. Yes, it was a splendiferous event, one that we shall repeat next year as we lead the way to celebrate the beauty of nursing-the incredible profession that allows us to connect with people everywhere, share the joys and sorrows of life and death, and help people to change their lives for the better.

The nurses who are honored by NurseWeek are among the finest caregivers. Caring is not just what we do. It is who we are. Caring is the essence of any relationship, whether it is caregiver and care receiver, parent and child, father and mother, sister and brother, friend and friend.

"Actions speak louder than words" is a phrase we often hear but seldom allow to enter our lives with deep meaning and conviction. This conviction was shared by all who were in attendance.

My deepest gratitude to all who came to celebrate our first Nursing Excellence Awards.

©NurseWeek Publishing