Olympic Medical Center CEO Eric Lewis honored six registered nurses and one certified nursing assistant at a board of commissioners meeting on Nov. 1.

Registered nurses Janeen Howell, Lisa Neisinger, Shari Byers, Tara Thomas and Mendi Sayer and certified nurse assistantVanessa Black received awards for their passion and excellence in providing care for patients in the intensive care/telemetry unit at Olympic Memorial Hospital and their participation in a unit-based council.

According to Katrin Junghanns-Royack, RN, director of The intensive care/telemetry unit, “the Unit-based Council of ICU and Telemetry, founded in June 2016, is based on the model of shared governance that gives nurses and certified nurse assistants a voice in nursing practices and patient care using evidence-based practice. Both managers and staff participate in making decisions.”

Howell was also recognized for developing a residency program for new graduate nurses in ICU/telemetry in addition to her regular duties of caring for patients, performing the role of charge nurse and assisting with chart audits.