Are you looking for a way to acknowledge an outstanding Director of Nursing (DON) or Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) in your organization? Nominate them for the Joan Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Nursing.
The McHugh Award recognizes a DON or ADON in any LTSS setting who creates a supportive and engaged workplace environment by displaying excellent leadership skills while managing nursing and frontline staff.
The winner of the McHugh Award receives:
June 16 is the deadline to complete an online nomination for the award.
About the Joan Anne McHugh Award
The Joan Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in LTSS Nursing will be awarded to a DON or ADON who:
- Demonstrates creative and innovative approaches to leadership in LTSS nursing.
- Facilitates teamwork.
- Creates a positive workplace environment and supports nursing and frontline staff.
- Facilitates meaningful collaboration among interdisciplinary team members.
- Improves the recruitment and retention of the nursing and frontline staff.
Nominating organizations are asked to submit five documents:
- A description of the nominee.
- A letter describing how the nominee meets the award’s selection criteria.
- One letter of recommendation from a nursing peer.
- One letter of recommendation from a direct care professional, such as a nursing assistant, home health aide, or personal care aide.
- A letter from the nominee.
The People Behind the McHugh Award, and Recent Winners
Joan Anne McHugh: The McHugh Award was established in 2005 in memory of Joan Anne McHugh by her family and her colleagues at the Loeb & Troper consulting firm in New York.
During her career as a registered nurse (RN), nurse manager, and nursing consultant, McHugh earned a well-deserved reputation for compassion, knowledge, and professionalism, and made a lasting impact on the geriatric health care profession. She died in 2003 at age 47.
“It is wonderful to shine a light on the amazing, incredible nurses that have received this award, all of whom truly represent—just as Joan did—all the best qualities and ideals of the nursing field and the field of long-term care nursing,” says Joan’s sister, Margaret Kyriacou. “We have seen and felt a little bit of Joan in all of the recipients of this award, which is, for us, a very beautiful and meaningful thing.”
Andrea MacDonald, RN, BSN, clinical operations manager at Nascentia Health Home Health Aides in Syracuse, NY, won the McHugh Award in 2022. MacDonald faced serious workforce challenges as a nurse leader after nearly a third of her home health aides left their jobs during the pandemic. She is credited with bolstering recruitment and retention by helping to develop a collection of employee benefits, getting staff input when implementing new programs, and encouraging team members to pursue career opportunities.
Kristen Schulmerich, RN, BSN, director of nursing services at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester, NY, won the McHugh Award in 2021. In the face of COVID-related workforce challenges, Schulmerich is credited with creating career ladder positions for certified nursing assistants (CNA), licensed practical nurses, and RNs; hiring a nurse recruiter to streamline the hiring and application process and a nurse educator to establish a CNA training program; and creating a “unit aide” position for non-nursing personnel from other MCH departments.
Jamey Walker, RN, director of nursing at The Village at Kendallville in Indiana, won the McHugh Award in 2019. Walker is credited with creating a positive work environment at Kendallville by following five leadership principles: practicing person-centered leadership, encouraging flexibility, providing the right tools, encouraging new skills, and depending on others.
Angela Jalloh, RN, director of nursing at The Admiral at the Lake in Chicago, won the McHugh Award in 2018. Jalloh is known for setting a high bar for performance among team members while spending significant time and energy helping them reach their potential. In addition, she was recognized for launching a new workforce initiative that helped The Admiral achieve full staffing coverage while eliminating the need to hire agency staff.
Start Your Nomination Today
LeadingAge member organizations can nominate individuals for the McHugh Award. Start with the LeadingAge Awards instructions, where you will find links to the Award criteria and the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is June 16.
For more information about the McHugh Award, email Natasha Bryant, senior director of workforce research and development at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, or call 202-508-1214.
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