Skip to main content

Kathy Ann Sheehy, MSN, APRN, PCNS-BC, Wins National Magnet Nurse of the Year Award

Washington, DC – Kathy Ann Sheehy, MSN, APRN, PCNS-BC, Certified Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, Division of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Children’s National Medical Center, has been recognized by The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with its 2012 National Magnet Nurse of the Year™ award. The award recognizes the outstanding contributions of clinical nurses in each of the five Magnet® Model components: Transformational Leadership; Structural Empowerment; Exemplary Professional Practice; New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements; and Empirical Outcomes. The 2012 award winners were recognized at the ANCC National Magnet Conference® in Los Angeles on October 10, 2012.

“We are proud of the leadership roles nurses play at Children’s National,” said Kurt D. Newman, MD, President and CEO, Children’s National. “Nurses are at the center of the patient and family experience through the whole continuum of care, and Kathy’s work around pain management is fundamentally changing how we care for kids. She is a perfect example of someone who never forgets who we’re caring for.”

Sheehy has been recognized in the category of New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements, for her work developing a new protocol for the safe use of dexmedetomidine outside the critical-care setting. The protocol allows children and families to choose the hospital setting for end-of-life care without compromising safe, effective pain and symptom management, while protecting the nurse’s legal scope of practice. A strong advocate for patient- and family-centered care, Sheehy is working with the University of Wisconsin and International Council of Nurses to develop an International Classification for Nursing Practice Catalog on Pain Management for the Pediatric Population.

“We applaud Kathy Sheehy as a true leader among the nurses here at Children’s National, and internationally.” said Linda Talley, MS, BSN, RN, NE-BC, Interim Chief Nursing Officer.  “Her work will transform how nurses and all clinical care team members care for children in pain.  She is an exemplar of the Magnet® qualities that our entire team embraces.”

Children’s National was recognized as a Magnet® Nursing Hospital in 2010, and is entering its redesignation process that will ensure the organization maintains its elite status.

ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program® is the most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes. Organizations that achieve Magnet® recognition are part of an esteemed group that demonstrates superior nursing practices and outcomes. U.S News & World Report uses Magnet® designation as a primary competence indicator in its assessment of almost 5,000 hospitals in order to rank and report the best medical centers in 16 specialties. In the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the nation’s oldest survey comparing hospital performance in safety, quality, and efficiency, Magnet® designation automatically earns full credit for safe practices around their nursing workforce.

Contact: Paula Darte or Emily Hartman, Children’s National Public Relations: 202.476.4500.

Media Contacts