Texas Children’s Hospital Celebrates 2024 Nursing Excellence Awards

Houston (May 9, 2024) — Texas Children’s Hospital is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Nursing Excellence Awards. The Texas Children’s Nursing Excellence Awards program takes place each year during National Nurses Week, an observance that recognizes exceptional nurses and all that they contribute to patients, families and our community.

 
This week, seven exceptional individuals were selected for this honor out of the nearly 5,000 nurses across Texas Children’s.  Winners are recognized for consistently going above and beyond in patient care, collaboration with team members and for their overall contributions toward driving positive change and innovation in the field of nursing.

“In the field of nursing, excellence is the standard,” said Dr. Jackie Ward, System Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President at Texas Children’s Hospital. “However, there are members of our team for whom that standard is surpassed day in and day out. Our Nursing Excellence Awards honor these individuals for their life-changing work and acknowledges an individual for their support of nursing as a Friend of Nursing.” 
 

Award winners are: 
•    Kim Murphy – Staff Nurse of the Year   
•    Suzanne Alonzo – Nurse Resident of the Year 
•    Zenda Amancio – Nurse Preceptor of the Year 
•    Bradley “Brad” Scherer, MD – Friend of Nursing Award
•    Lauren Salinas – Advanced Degree Nurse of the Year 
•    Kelli Irwin – Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year 
•    Nikashia Franklin – Nurse Leader of the Year

Additionally, several nursing scholarships were awarded to provide financial assistance in continuing education and career development.

About Texas Children’s 
Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO focused on children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.