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Children's National Nurse Named Magnet Nurse of the Year® in Empirical Outcomes

Washington, DC—For her work at Children’s National Health System, Elizabeth Mikula, MSN, RN, CPN, has received the 2013 Magnet Nurse of the Year Award® in Empirical Outcomes.

The National Magnet Nurse of the Year Awards® are presented annually by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The awards recognize outstanding contributions, in each of five Magnet Model® component areas, by clinical nurses working in Magnet® designated hospitals. ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, provides individuals and organizations throughout the nursing profession with the resources they need to achieve practice excellence.

“Elizabeth is a strong advocate for the nursing profession and for advancing the health and well-being of children everywhere,” said Linda Talley, MS, BSN, RN, NE-BC, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Children’s National. “Her research and leadership on behalf of pediatric nurses helped spark a worldwide advocacy campaign for the health screening of infants for congenital heart disease at the earliest possible stages of life.”

Mikula joined Children’s National in 2006, becoming Clinical Program Coordinator for Cardiac Research in 2011. For the Children’s National Pulse Ox Congenital Heart Disease Screening Program, she coordinated research efforts around the use of pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in the newborn nursery. She is a frequent speaker and author of several publications on the topic, including co-authoring—with Gerard Martin, MD, Senior Vice President of the Children's National Center for Heart, Lung, and Kidney, and others—new 2013 recommendations published in Pediatrics on CCHD screening for all newborns. She has been a Magnet® Champion co-leader and was an active contributor to the 2010 submission leading to Magnet® designation for Children’s National.

“Elizabeth’s work for the Congenital Heart Disease Screening Program has taken what was a solid program and helped to turn our CCHD program into a successful public health campaign educating healthcare professionals, new and expecting parents, as well as policymakers,” said Dr. Martin.

The Division of Nursing at Children’s National is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all children. Children’s National nurses specialize in pediatric nursing, ensuring that all patients—hospital inpatients or visitors to one of the many Children’s Health Centers—have a skilled expert to provide their care. Nurses work closely with other healthcare professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team, bringing skill and compassion to ensure every patient’s progress. Nursing Research at Children’s National is becoming a nationally recognized program of pediatric nursing and inter-professional scholarly research. Involving nurses in research, and quality and evidence-based practice is vital to improve patient and family care outcomes.

Contact: Emily Hartman or Caitlyn Camacho at 202-476-4500.

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