Vickie Custer, RN, MS, CCRN, critical care nurse manager for the Denver VA Medical Center’s ICU, received the Circle of Excellence Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Two faculty and one student at the University of North Dakota College of Nursing were presented with awards from the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, through the Eta Upsilon chapter. Lois Ustanko, clinical instructor, was presented with the Excellence in Nursing Practice Award. Cheryl Stauffenecker, clinical instructor, was presented with the Caring Award. Christine Iseminger, a May 2010 graduate, was given the award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student Performance

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses presented its Nursing for Women’s Health Excellence in Writing Award to Cheryl E. Gies, RN, MSN, CNP, for her article titled, “Alzheimer Disease in Women: A Clinical and Genetics Perspective.” Gies is an assistant professor at the University of Toledo (Ohio) College of Nursing.

Gail Baumlein, RN, MSN, PhD, was inducted to the National League for Nursing’s Board of Governors during their 2010 Annual Education Summit. She is director of online programs and dean of MSN programs at Chamberlain College of Nursing in St. Louis. She will serve as a governor at large for a three-year term. She’s played an important role over the years in enhancing Chamberlain’s curriculum, and the entire community is proud to see her receive the honor.

The National League for Nursing inducted 19 fellows throughout the U.S. into the Academy of Nursing Education during the NLN’s Annual Education Summit. The regional fellows are: Beverly Bryce Bowers, RN, PhD, CNS, University of Oklahoma College of Nursing in Oklahoma City; Janice Edelstein, RN, APRN, EdD, BC, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Marilyn Frenn, RN, PhD, CNE, Marquette University in Milwaukee; Julie McAfooes, RN, MS, BC, Chamberlain College of Nursing in St. Louis; Angela M. McNelis, RN, PhD, Indiana University School of Nursing in Indianapolis; and Lois Salmeron, RN, EdD, CNE, Kramer School of Nursing at Oklahoma City University.

Veronica (Roni) Griffith, RN, BSN, has been named the director of quality at Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kan. Griffith’s new position focuses on issues related to quality, such as assessing key processes and best practices, as well as reporting quality measures to agencies such as The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare Services.

Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kan., recently announced the promotion of two staff members to clinical supervisor positions. Shannon Mingo, RN, MSN, MBA, has been selected clinical supervisor of the hospital’s med/surg services, and Holli Eschbacher, RN, has been named clinical supervisor of surgical services.

Two nurses with Banner Occupational Health Services in Loveland, Colo., recently completed advanced training to offer screenings and services in the occupational health clinic. Patricia Rankin, RN, completed advanced training with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to perform pulmonary function testing. She is the occupational health RN for Banner Occupational Health Services at McKee Medical Center. Betty J. Stevens, RN, completed recertification for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for spirometry testing. She is the senior manager for occupational health for Banner Occupational Health Services at McKee Medical Center.

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses presented The Hill-Rom/Celeste Phillips Family-Centered Maternity Care Research Award to Lori Baas Rubarth, APRN, PhD, NNP, for her study titled, “Use of Online Support and NICU Education to Decrease Stress for Prenatal Patients on Bed Rest — A Pilot Study.” Rubarth has been a nurse for more than 30 years. Since completing her PhD in 2005, she has been teaching and coordinating the neonatal nurse practitioner program at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

The following regional nursing faculty members have been recognized by their colleagues, students and others as DAISY Faculty Honorees for 2010: Marion Keen of Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science in Cincinnati; and Tamara Cooper of Galen College of Nursing in Cincinnati.

The Oncology Nursing Society announced its 2010-11 board of directors at its 35th annual congress in San Diego. Newly elected ONS directors-at-large are Margaret Barton-Burke, RN, PhD, Mary Ann Lee Endowed Professor of Oncology Nursing at the University of Missouri in St. Louis; and Mary Pat Johnston, RN, MS, AOCN(r), oncology clinical nurse specialist at ProHealth Care at the Regional Cancer Center in Waukesha, Wis.

Mary-Anne Ponti, RN, MS, MBA, CNAA-BC, was elected to the American Organization of Nurse Executives’ board of directors. Ponti is chief operating officer/chief nursing executive at Northern Michigan Regional Health System in Petoskey, Mich.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation selected 12 outstanding nursing faculty from across the country to participate in its Nurse Faculty Scholars program. The opportunity is given to junior faculty who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing. This year’s regional Nurse Faculty Scholar award recipients and their research projects are: Jodi Ford, RN, PhD, The Ohio State University, “The Contribution of Neighborhood and School Disadvantage during Adolescence to Sexual Risk and STI during Young Adulthood: A Multi-Level Analysis”; Maria Katapodi, RN, PhD, University of Michigan, “Development of a Family Communication and Decision-Support Intervention for Women who Carry a BRCA1 or a BRCA2 Mutation and Their At-Risk Family Members”; Elizabeth A. Kostas-Polston, APRN, PhD, WHNP-BC, St. Louis University, “Genomic Instability: Oncogenic Mechanisms of HPV Oncoproteins”; and Andrea S. Wallace, APRN-BC, ADM, ND, PhD, University of Iowa, “Implementation of Diabetes Self-Management Support in Community Primary Care.”