Frawley Recognized for Nurse Excellence

JoEllen Frawley, APNP, of Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics (SPMHC) received the 2010 Nurse Excellence Award for clinical nursing from the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC).

Frawley has a nursing career that spans more than 30 years of exceptional patient service.  She has been working for the last 2 years with SPMHC, continuing her role as Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner with Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management.  She has played a critical role in serving as a catalyst for patients with diabetes, expanding services to those patients, educating other clinicians about diabetes, and providing numerous community outreach events on diabetes management.  One of her peers may describe JoEllen best: “she practices nursing with dignity, respect, and gentle humor.  She goes to whatever level the person she is communicating is at, holds them accountable and makes them feel of value.  She is respected by her peers, and her patients adore her.”

Also nominated from SPMHC for the Nurse Excellence Awards were Robin Labeots, Kathy Arneson, Connie Henry, Rita Selden, Kari Hall and Margaret Sheeks.

According to Tim Size, executive director of the RWHC, the Nurse Excellence Awards were initiated to recognize high quality nursing practice provided by the hospitals serving rural communities. Nurses in community hospital settings must be well educated, well rounded at clinical practice, and have the ability to respond to a variety of age groups, diagnoses, and patient emergencies. Establishment of this award is public recognition that excellence in nursing practice is a valuable asset to rural communities and the state of Wisconsin.