Simmy King and Mourine Evans
October 2020
Simmy
King
,
DNP, MS, MBA, RN-BC, NE-BC
Clinical Information Systems & Professional Development
Children’s National Hospital
Simmy and Mourine recruited 50 students and led the students through a summer work-study program that brought together a diverse group of nursing students and provided them with an exceptional experience.
It's been an extraordinary year, one that's seen amazing collaborations in these times of uncertainty. Each of these nurse leaders, in their own right, are outstanding in their leadership roles. Together they used their collective expertise to create outstanding results, to maintain our pipeline for nurse recruits, and to strengthen the foundation of nursing. Demonstrating the value of nursing, they have kept us focused on the importance of building a diverse and competent workforce of the future.
Beginning in March of this year, we shifted our focus on our organizational response to COVID. Many of our other projects got put on the back burner. While we responded to the pandemic, two nurse leaders ensured that our commitment to the workforce of the future remained intact and strong. Because of COVID, most hospitals had to forgo their nursing student work/study programs. Because of declining patient volumes, hospitals found they didn't have the resources needed to support the work study program. And because of this, nursing students were finding summer plans for externships canceled and their academic progression at risk.
Dr. Simmy King, Director for Clinical Information Systems & Professional Development, and Mourine Evans, Program Director for the Conway Nursing Pathfinder Program stayed focused. They had been recruiting students who were seeking their pediatric summer experience at Children's. Typically, we see a certain percentage of summer students transition to full-time jobs with us after their graduation. We depend on this program as a recruitment pipeline, and nursing students plan at least a year in advance to compete for a position in our program.
Faced with minimal funding, Simmy and Mourine worked with me to secure philanthropic support so we could continue the program. They recruited 50 students and led the students through a summer work-study program that brought together a diverse group of nursing students and provided them with an exceptional experience.
At the time, Nursing students were having their own unique challenges related to COVID. Their studies were interrupted, most didactic learning transitioned to online learning, and clinical rotations were halted. Nursing schools began to report a high drop out rate, lower than expected numbers of new students, and students who took a leave of absence. As changes impacted their academic learning, they began to scramble to secure summer work-study opportunities that would keep them on their trajectory towards graduation. Simmy and Mourine recruited top talent students, revisited their curriculum to make sure it was contemporary and focused on emergency response and resilience and they delivered an exceptional program that culminated with change projects that explored topics uniquely symbolic of these unusual times - such as the nurse's role in telemedicine and exploring opportunities to innovate in response to the pandemic.
Through their shared vision, Simmy and Mourine demonstrated authentic commitment, compassion, and connection to ensuring the future of nursing. While others confronted the uncertainty of COVID, they led nursing students through a summer experience that invested in our future. Their vision and their ability to see the future through the eyes of nursing students ensures that our workforce of the future knows their value and the impact they will have in their chosen profession. For their unwavering commitment to the education of others, and for their courageous and innovative spirit, I am proud to recognize Dr. Simmy King and Mourine Evans as our 2020 CNO DAISY Nurse Leaders.
Beginning in March of this year, we shifted our focus on our organizational response to COVID. Many of our other projects got put on the back burner. While we responded to the pandemic, two nurse leaders ensured that our commitment to the workforce of the future remained intact and strong. Because of COVID, most hospitals had to forgo their nursing student work/study programs. Because of declining patient volumes, hospitals found they didn't have the resources needed to support the work study program. And because of this, nursing students were finding summer plans for externships canceled and their academic progression at risk.
Dr. Simmy King, Director for Clinical Information Systems & Professional Development, and Mourine Evans, Program Director for the Conway Nursing Pathfinder Program stayed focused. They had been recruiting students who were seeking their pediatric summer experience at Children's. Typically, we see a certain percentage of summer students transition to full-time jobs with us after their graduation. We depend on this program as a recruitment pipeline, and nursing students plan at least a year in advance to compete for a position in our program.
Faced with minimal funding, Simmy and Mourine worked with me to secure philanthropic support so we could continue the program. They recruited 50 students and led the students through a summer work-study program that brought together a diverse group of nursing students and provided them with an exceptional experience.
At the time, Nursing students were having their own unique challenges related to COVID. Their studies were interrupted, most didactic learning transitioned to online learning, and clinical rotations were halted. Nursing schools began to report a high drop out rate, lower than expected numbers of new students, and students who took a leave of absence. As changes impacted their academic learning, they began to scramble to secure summer work-study opportunities that would keep them on their trajectory towards graduation. Simmy and Mourine recruited top talent students, revisited their curriculum to make sure it was contemporary and focused on emergency response and resilience and they delivered an exceptional program that culminated with change projects that explored topics uniquely symbolic of these unusual times - such as the nurse's role in telemedicine and exploring opportunities to innovate in response to the pandemic.
Through their shared vision, Simmy and Mourine demonstrated authentic commitment, compassion, and connection to ensuring the future of nursing. While others confronted the uncertainty of COVID, they led nursing students through a summer experience that invested in our future. Their vision and their ability to see the future through the eyes of nursing students ensures that our workforce of the future knows their value and the impact they will have in their chosen profession. For their unwavering commitment to the education of others, and for their courageous and innovative spirit, I am proud to recognize Dr. Simmy King and Mourine Evans as our 2020 CNO DAISY Nurse Leaders.