January 19, 2007

"Critical Care: The Making of an ICU Nurse" wins national awards

In October 2005, Boston Globe readers got a rare inside look at nursing in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting through a four-part series entitled, "Critical Care: The Making of an ICU Nurse." For seven months, Globe reporter Scott Allen and staff photographer Michele McDonald periodically shadowed two MGH nurses, Michelle "MJ" Pender, RN, and Julia Zelixon, RN, in the hospital's Surgical ICU. Both women were participating in the MGH New Graduate Critical Care Nursing Program — Pender as a preceptor and Zelixon as her new graduate preceptee. Recently, the MGH received two national media and public relations awards for promoting the powerful story.

The public relations journal, PR News, awarded the hospital a first place NonProfit PR Award in the media relations campaign category. Commenting on the story, PR News officials said, "'Authentic' was the key word of the PR media outreach initiative." Georgia W. Peirce, director of Promotional Communications and Publicity for MGH's Patient Care Services, accepted the award on behalf of the hospital at a Dec. 8 luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Ives Erickson receives the AAN award from Gail Powell-Cope, MD, of the AAN.

The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) also recognized the MGH ICU nursing
article at the 33rd AAN Annual Meeting and Conference Nov. 11. Jeannette Ives Erickson, RN, MGH senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse, accepted the 2006 AAN Media Award on behalf of the hospital. The AAN honored the MGH for "raising the image and understanding of the vital role, responsibilities and opportunities for nurses within today's health care system." Other MGHers
acknowledged for their contributions to the series included Kathryn Brush, RN; Marianne Ditomassi, RN; Peirce; Pender; Jeanne Rufo-Huckins, RN; Susan Tully, RN; Zelixon; and Peggy Slasman of MGH Public Affairs.