As part of National Nursing Week celebrations, May 9 -15, the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing will be hosting their annual awards ceremony in the Benedict Gathering Place at Gzowski College, on Monday May 9, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by a reception.

Provincial chief nursing officer and vice-president of Professional Practice/CNE at the London Health Sciences Centre, Dr. Vanessa Burkoski will provide opening comments and present the Director’s Award, the Registered Nurses Foundation of Ontario Scholarships and the Nursing Leadership Network Student Nurse Education Award.

As the longest serving provincial chief nursing officer, Ms. Burkoski has provided strategic advice regarding nursing and broader health system policy to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and facilitated the implementation of a wide-range of evidence-based, innovative program and policy initiatives such as, the Personal Digital Assistant program, Ontario Nursing Workforce Alliance, Late Career Nurse-Retention Performance Target, and Long-Term Care – Emergency Mobile Response program.

Other awards to be presented at the event are the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Nursing Student Organization Award of Excellence, the recipients of which comprise the Trent Model WHO planning committee, the Nichols/Civic Nursing Alumnae Prize, the Preceptor Award, the Parkinson’s Society Dr. Cragg Award, the Janet Bews Scholarship and the Central East Community Care Access Centre Nursing Prize.

For full details of the event and a complete list of recipients, please visit trentu.ca/ nursing.