MEET AMY BOULWARE
Clinical leader, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Baltimore

Boulware, RN, who has worked at Levindale for 28 years, has earned certification as a culture change nurse coordinator from the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing.

Culture change is the transformation in nursing homes that gives residents more control over their lives, empowers front-line workers to have greater decision making, improves residents' quality of care and life and creates a more homelike environment.

Boulware has been a nurse since 1983, working at Levindale as a floor nurse, in the Adult Day Services program, on the wound care team and as the clinical coach for Project Connect. She now works as the clinical leader of Hall Two.

Carroll Hospital Center, Westminster, Md.: Irma Fonte, RN, intermediate care unit, was presented with Carroll's August DAISY Award. She was recognized for going above and beyond her regular duties to assist patients as a Spanish translator. She often stays past her scheduled shift to help staff explain to patients their procedures, daily nursing care and discharge instructions. "Irma is a true patient advocate and team player," said Stephanie Reid, RN, BSN, MBA, who serves as CNO and assistant vice president of nursing.

St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson, Md.: Michele McKee, RN, BSN, was named director, medical/surgical patient care and vascular access team. In September, she marked her 30th year at the center. St. Joseph also appointed Grace Serafini, RN, APRN-BC, director, psychiatry, maternal child health services and central staffing and scheduling services, and named Terry Herbert, RN, BSN, as director, nursing telemetry, step down and observation units. Two ED nurses were recognized with DAISY awards for extraordinary acts of compassion and clinical excellence. Karen Ayd, RN, has purchased items to assist patients moving from ER to OR, including new contact lenses for patients who need to remove lenses before surgery. She also purchases small age-appropriate toys. Melissa Parker, RN, listened to the stories of an elderly patient who had lost his only companion, his dog. She went to the gift shop and purchased the largest stuffed dog she could find and placed it alongside his bed. The patient was moved to tears by her kindness.

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore: Shannon Idzik, CRNP, DNP, CCRN, assistant professor, has been selected to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's Leadership for Academic Nursing program. Louise Jenkins, RN, PhD, professor, and Carol O'Neil, RN, PhD, CNE, associate professor, are co-principal investigators on a $1,087,779, four-year education grant, Implementing Statewide Initiatives for Nursing Faculty, from the Nurse Support Program II, Maryland Higher Education Commission. The project seeks to increase the number of nurses prepared to function effectively in a faculty role. Professor Barbara Resnick, RN, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, the Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Endowed Chair in Gerontology, received a $100,000 grant from the Leonard & Helen Stulman Charitable Foundation to continue her study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative, to help assisted-living residents in Maryland function independently. Resnick also was elected president of the American Geriatrics Society during the society's annual Scientific Meeting May 12 in Washington, D.C. Debra Wiegand, RN, PhD, FAAN, assistant professor, was a visiting scholar at the University of Sao Paulo School of Nursing in Brazil during the spring. Janet D. Allan, RN, PhD, FAAN, dean, was re-elected to a two-year term as treasurer of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's board of directors. Robin Newhouse, RN, PhD, NEA-BC, has been named chair of UMSON's organizational systems and adult health department.

The Community College of Baltimore County (Md.): CCBC recently honored outstanding nursing students during its seventh annual School of Health Professions Student Recognition Ceremony, including students who received Outstanding Student Awards (OS). Those who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or better in their course work were inducted into Alpha Eta National Honor Society for two-year colleges (AE). The honorees from CCBC Catonsville were Scarlette Frazier (OS/AE); and Debra Blye, Martha Hatfield, Mary Haber, Danielle Houston, Karen Roberts, Steven Jacobson, Emma Jauquet, Megan Johnson, Michelle Lima and Carol Schroder (AE). The honorees from CCBC Essex were Walter Wilson (OS); and Genevieve Breaux, Danielle Cabral, Jeong Chae, Kimberly Fuhr, Evan Hansen, Angela Kurek, Molly Lemanski, Carolyn Magee, Anh Nguyen, Alison Olszewski, Amanda Yates and Jacquelyn Zinkhan (AE). CCBC evening/weekend honorees were Daniel Hadley, Amy Roby and Isabella Pettijohn (AE).