A look at May 2024 Winner for the Advancement of Nursing Practice Award
Erin Kindy, APRN, SICU/Surgical Services
(summary of her nomination) The UAMS SICU takes care of the some of the sickest and most injured surgical patients in the state of Arkansas, and Erin has been integral in the care of many, if not all, of these patients. We had a young patient with a devastating brain injury. Erin stayed late into the evening (well beyond her expected working hours) speaking with the patient’s wife about the patient’s injury and likely poor prognosis, as well as goals of care. She connected with the patient’s wife in a way none of the other team members had been able to do because she spent so much time with them and was so caring. She built excellent rapport with the patient’s wife and established trust between the patient’s family and the care team; we were able to have more meaningful goals of care conversations with the patient’s family after Erin met with them. Erin is the heart and soul of the SICU provider team and represents the very best of us here at UAMS.
The SICU team is multidisciplinary, with a constant flow of providers and learners of all disciplines coming and going day to day. Erin serves as the foundation and backbone of the team, providing much-needed continuity for the care of the SICU patients. She also importantly serves as a mentor and helps acclimate and educate the countless rotating residents, students, and fellows to the busy SICU team. I am not exaggerating when I say that I cannot express the amount of appreciation and admiration I have for Erin Kindy in a single letter. She is irreplaceable in terms of her clinical expertise, compassionate and patient-focused care, and effective teamwork and communication. She is clinically astute, and I trust her clinical judgement explicitly. To put it plainly, if I was admitted to the SICU, I would want Erin taking care of me.
The Excellence in Advanced Practice Award recognizes the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who excels in UAMS Health core values of integrity, respect, diversity and health equity, teamwork, creativity, excellence, and safety. This professional will be recognized for their admirable character, selfless dedication, continued leadership, and outstanding advocacy for the profession of advanced practice nursing. Perpetually raising the bar for all, they help establish a higher standard quality of care.
Nomination Requirements:
- Nominee must be a licensed Advance Practice Nurse (CNM, CRNA, CNS, or NP) within the UAMS Health system
- Nominee must promote excellence through leadership, clinical practice, and/or clinical research.
Nomination Process:
- Complete the application below in its entirety relating to the Advanced Practice nurse you are nominating. If you have any supportive information in the area provided in the nomination form, please attach it. NOTE: Nominations will not be accepted after the closing date.
Selection Process:
- Nominations that meet criteria will be blinded and reviewed by the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee will select winners based only on the information provided in the nomination and supportive information.
- Nominees who meet the criteria, as well as the selected winner, will be celebrated during annual Professional Nursing Awards ceremony.
Award nominations are closed at this time. Check back the first part of 2025.