ENA Names Susan Douglass 2024 Judith C. Kelleher Award Recipient
May 22, 2024 • Achievement Awards Emergency Nurses Association
ENA’s annual achievement awards recognize exemplary emergency nursing professionals
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (May 22, 2024) – More than 50 years after taking her first job as an emergency nurse, Susan Douglass, MSN, RN, CEN, carries an enthusiastic and humble tone when she says she couldn’t ask for anything more from her “great career.”
On Wednesday, something more was added to her prolific story when ENA announced Douglass as the recipient of the 2024 Judith C. Kelleher Award, the association’s most prestigious honor bearing the name of its co-founder.
Douglass, of San Antonio, Texas, served in a number of emergency department roles – from bedside to management – over four decades in the hospital setting, but her contributions extended far beyond it. She has been a pediatric and geriatric injury prevention champion in the community and has long-supported emergency nursing education as an instructor of ENA’s cornerstone Trauma Nursing Core Course.
“I learned in the ED there’s only one way to do it, you give 110 percent to every patient,” said Douglass as she expressed disbelief about receiving the award. “I have loved almost every single day of my nursing career. All-in-all, if you focus on your patients, and what your patients need, you’re golden.”
Douglass’ wide-ranging contributions to emergency nursing and in her home state of Texas earned the praise of ENA President Chris Dellinger, MBA, BSN, RN, FAEN.
“From teaching and mentoring emergency nurses throughout her career to giving back to her community as an injury prevention expert and committed advocate, Susan has undoubtedly touched more lives than she could ever know,” Dellinger said. “She represents the best of emergency nursing as a shining example of what it means to be a mentor, a caregiver and a dedicated servant to others.”
On Wednesday, ENA also announced 12 other individual award recipients, as well as the annual State Council Achievement Awards and this year’s Team Awards.
“ENA members show up and stand out in so many ways every single day. This year’s awards reflect that by honoring educators, researchers, ED leaders, experienced nurses, new nurses and amazing teams who represent the best of who we are as a nursing specialty and as the premier organization for emergency nurses,” Dellinger said.
The 2024 ENA award recipients and other honorees will be recognized during Emergency Nursing 2024 in Las Vegas Sept. 4-7:
Barbara A. Foley Quality, Safety and Injury Prevention Award: Steve Weinman, MS, BSN, RN, EMT-B, NHDP-BC, TCRN, CEN, of New Jersey
Behind the Scenes Award: Raul Escamilla, AAS, EMT-P, of Texas
Clinical Nurse Specialist Award: Tina Nielsen, MS, RN, APNP, ACNS-BC, CEN, of Wisconsin
Crisis Response Team Award: Uvalde Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, of Texas
Frank L. Cole Nurse Practitioner Award: Nancy Denke, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CEN, FAEN, of Arizona
Gail P. Lenehan Advocacy Award: Tammy Aiken, DNP, MSN, RN, SANE, of New York
Lifetime Achievement Award: Gordon Gillespie, DNP, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC, CEN, CPEN, FAAN, FAEN, of Ohio
Nurse Manager Award: Audrey Rosin, MBA, MSN, RN, CEN, of Wisconsin
Nurse Researcher Award: Kate Curtis, PhD, MN, RN, of Australia
Nursing Education Award: Julie Considine, PhD, BN, RN, of Australia
Nursing Practice and Professionalism Award: Jana Petersen, BSN, RN, CEN, of Wisconsin
Pediatric Readiness Improvement Award: Robin Goodman, MSN, CPEN, RN, of California
Rising Star Award: Tyler Bowe, RN, of Wisconsin
State Council/Chapter Government Affairs Award: North Carolina ENA State Council
Team Awards:
- Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas
- Center for Abuse, Rape and Emergency Services (CARES) program team – TriHealth, Ohio
- The University of Kansas Health Systems new graduate groups – Cohorts Peach and Lavender, Kansas
In addition to the individual honors, 10 states – Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington – received 2024 State Council Achievement Awards for their outstanding local efforts last year.
