Judy Dillon, community outreach coordinator for the Department of Nursing at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, recently was awarded the 2011 Nightingale Award of Pennsylvania for Clinical Practice R.N. Dillon has been a nurse for more than 30 years and with the Medical Center for 15 years. This prestigious award recognizes Dillon for her outstanding quality of patient care, superior nursing clinical skills, and extraordinary compassion. She exemplifies the attributes that the Nightingale Awards represents, as well as the outstanding qualities of Penn State Hershey’s more than 1,400 nurses.
Kathy Morrison, manager of the stroke program, is a previous Nightingale Award winner in the same category and nominated Dillon for the award.
The Clinical Practice award is given to a licensed practical nurse, registered professional nurse and an advanced practice R.N. Nurses nominated for this award are recognized for providing outstanding quality of patient care, superior nursing clinical skills, and extraordinary compassion. Exceptional communication skills enhance their contribution to the health needs of the community while advancing the profession. The Nightingale Awards were first presented on Oct. 21, 1990. To date, more than 100 nurses have received this prestigious award.
In 2007 the Medical Center had two Nightingale Award recipients: Kathy Bucks received the Clinical Practice L.P.N. award and Tamara Lynn Burket, adult and gerontological clinical nurse specialist, received the Advanced Practice R.N. Award.