Hospice nurse receives first Nurse Exemplar Award

May 31 , 2007 — Shelia Ansell has been named the recipient of Chesapeake Health’s inaugural Nurse Exemplar Award.

Ansell is a registered nurse with Chesapeake Health’s ComfortCare Hospice program. She has served in the post for seven years.

Certified in paint management, hospice and palliative care, Ansell is a “strong patient advocate” who goes the extra mile to serve her patients’ needs, wrote Jacqueline Williams, a co-worker who nominated the R.N. for the award.

“We had a patient once who used to ride and own horses,” Williams wrote. “He was declining rapidly and just wanted to see a horse. Shelia owns horses so she had her husband bring one to the front yard for the patient to see. The patient was so excited that he was able to get in his
wheelchair and go outside to see this horse. He died a few days later.”

“Her support was invaluable” during my mother’s illness, added Elizabeth M. Smith, a local resident who wrote the hospice program to cite Ansell’s work. “She helped us to help our mother.”

The Nurse Exemplar Award was established this year by Chesapeake Health’s Professional Nursing Council and chief nursing officer to recognize excellence in the practice of nursing. It will be presented annually.

Ansell was selected from dozens of nominations submitted to council members, who have been elected to represent clinical areas throughout the organization. Selection was based on the nominees’ demonstrated qualities as a role model, professional excellence, specialty certification and role as a patient advocate.