The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in May 2019. The idea behind the designation was the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing, but nobody realized the designation would ring true for millions this year. Nurses in 2020 provided care and comfort for people dealing with acute, chronic, and terminal ailments, and also spent time caring for those with COVID-19, while simultaneously figuring out how to treat these patients.
On December 1, 2020, the March of Dimes hosted their annual Nurse of the Year Banquet online to thank these exceptional professionals, and Omaha Magazine was a proud sponsored of the event.
Nurses are nominated by peers, nurse managers, supervisors, or the families they have impacted. Each application is blinded, carefully reviewed, and scored by a committee of Nurse leaders from the health care community in Nebraska and Iowa.
-Intro by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman
Bunny Pozehl
UNMC College of Nursing
Bunny Pozehl, Ph.D., has contributed to the educational mission of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing since 1981. During her tenure at UNMC, Dr. Pozehl has evolved from an assistant instructor to the current director of the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program and Dorothy Hodges Olsen endowed chair and tenured professor.
Dr. Pozehl thoughtfully seeks opportunities to enhance the professional and personal development of others. She has successfully mentored and continues to mentor students, cardiology fellows, post-doctoral trainees, and countless junior faculty/clinicians. Trainees and early career faculty eagerly select Dr. Pozehl as a mentor because of her approachability as a leader, mentor, and scientist.
Students consistently name Dr. Pozehl as their favorite instructor. They describe how her approach to lecturing and advising has shaped their careers. In recognition of her commitment to students, Dr. Pozehl was recently awarded the Donna Westmoreland Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award from the UNMC College of Nursing after a group of her former students and mentees nominated her for this honor.
Academic Educator
Theresa Delahoyde
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Finalist (Not pictured)
Ashley Kennedy
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Advanced Practice
Nichole Regan
Nebraska Medicine
Finalists (Not pictured)
Barb Nickel
CHI Health St. Francis
Kathleen Scott
Nebraska Medicine
Ambulatory/Clinic Care
Alicia Abboud
Nebraska Medicine
Finalists (Not pictured)
Katy Knight
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Sara Morris
Bryan Health
Behavioral Health
Susan Walsh
Nebraska Medicine
Finalists (Not pictured)
Katheryn J. Kathe
Bryan Health
Taylor Wilson
CHI Health Immanuel
Case Management/Care Coordination
Laura Capece
Nebraska Medicine
Finalists (Not pictured)
Vicki Adolf
Nebraska Medicine
Teresa Applegate
Nebraska Medicine
Clinical Educator
Chelsey Kennedy
CHI Health St. Francis
Finalists (Not pictured)
Katie Circo
Nebraska Medicine
Nicole Nazaruk
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Critical Care
Kaelee Stone
CHI Health St Francis
Finalists (Not pictured)
Sarah Jarecke
Nebraska Medicine
Jordan Roberts
CHI Health St Elizabeth
Emergency/Transport
Katherine Morse
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs
Finalists (Not pictured)
Marcy Thernes
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Jennifer Vestle
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Family Nominated
Brent Hannah
Methodist Hospital
Finalists (Not pictured)
Tiffany Mohs
Methodist Gretna Physicians Clinic
Paige Paskevic
CHI Health Lakeside
Intermediate Care/Telemetry
Ashley Liess
Nebraska Medicine
Finalists (Not pictured)
Janelle Krings
CHI Health Lakeside Hospital
Meagin Skutnik
Nebraska Medicine
Long-Term Care/Post-Acute
Wendy Rix
Dunklau Gardens
Finalist (Not pictured)
Michelle Diaz
CHI Health Immanuel
Medical/Surgical
Sheri Cunningham
Methodist Hospital
Finalists (Not pictured)
Kayla Jacobsen
CHI Health Lakeside Hospital
Tori McElligott
Methodist Hospital
Nurse Leader
Anissa Guzman
CHI Health McAuley Fogelstrom Center
Finalists (Not pictured)
Brandi Johansen
Nebraska Medicine
Theresa Woodrum
Nebraska Medicine
Oncology
Jennifer Mettler
CHI Health Lakeside Hospital
Finalists (Not pictured)
Karen Pribnow
Chi Health St Elizabeth
Morgan Tooley
Nebraska Medicine
Pediatrics/Neonatology
Lissa Clements
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Finalists (Not pictured)
Britney Davis
CHI Health St. Francis
Jenny Dupes
CHI Health St. Elizabeth
Public/Community/Home Health & Hospice/Palliative Care
Amanda J. Kirkpatrick
Creighton University
Finalists (Not pictured)
Hilary Applequist
Methodist Hospital
Grace Benson
Children’s Home Health Care
Quality and Risk Management/Informatics
Lori Snyder-Sloan
CHI Health Service Center
Finalists (Not pictured)
Angela J. Herbert
Bryan Health
Carly Hornig
CHI Health Lakeside Hospital
Rising Star
Morgan Brueggemann
CHI Health Lakeside Hospital
Finalists (Not pictured)
Madison Braun
Nebraska Medicine
Rachel Waite
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Rural Health/Critical Access
Christine Gabel
Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center
Finalists (Not pictured)
Brittny Hermann
CHI Health St. Mary’s
Jennifer Mensing
CHI Health Mercy Corning
Student Nurse
Elizabeth Kangas
UNMC College of Nursing
Finalists (Not pictured)
Gracie Kliegl
Clarkson College
Courtney Weaver
Nebraska Methodist College
Women’s Health
Rachel Thompson
CHI Health CUMC Bergan Mercy
Finalists (Not pictured)
Tasha Bang
Methodist Women’s Hospital
Wendy Miller
CHI Health CUMC Bergan Mercy
Surgical Services/Procedural Care
Janel Myers
CHI Health CUMC Bergan Mercy
Finalists (Not pictured)
Kathleen Kauffman
Methodist Women’s Hospital
Andrea Swanson
Nebraska Medicine
Nurse of the Year Committee
Event Chair
Kathy Bressler, RN MN
SVP Chief Operating Officer
CHI Health
Nicole Caswell
Nurse Manager
Immanuel Medical Center
Teresa Hultquist
Associate Professor, Interim Director of Evaluation
UNMC-College of Nursing
Pam Jacobsen
Assistant Professor/NICU nurse
Methodist College
Alexa Lewis
Director of Women’s Health
Bryan
Cindy Mirfield
Service Leader, NICU
Methodist Women’s Hospital
Melissa Schmaderer
Director of Nursing
Madonna
Kris Stapp
Vice President of Health Services
VNA
Lisa Strasheim
Division Director – Women’s
CHI Health
Karen Tesina
Director of Women’s and Children’s Division
Nebraska Medicine
Anne Thallas
Nurse Manager
Methodist
Judy Thomas
Director of Professional Nursing Practice
Children’s Hospital and Medical Center
Judy Timmons
Director, Nursing Education
Children’s Hospital and Medical Center
Melanie Tuamoheloa
Nurse Manager
Nebraska Medicine – Bellevue
Susie Ward
Dean of Nursing
Methodist College
Lauren Westerdale
NICU Manager
Bergan Mercy
Chrissy Wilber
Director of Pediatric Clinics
Boys Town National Research Hospital
This list was printed in the January/February 2021 edition of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
