Awards Honor Nurses Involved in Health Care Sustainability

Reston, VA — Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for its two annual Nursing Awards: The Charlotte Brody Award and the Hollie Shaner-McRae Nursing Student Essay Contest. The awards, sponsored by the HCWH Nurses Workgroup in conjunction with The Luminary Project, honor nurses who play a role in helping develop sustainable environments through activities in professional associations, their communities and places of work.

The prestigious Charlotte Brody Award, named for one of the founders of Health Care Without Harm, honors the leadership, commitment, and vision of nurses who are creating a healthier world and inspiring others to do the same. It seeks to recognize Nurse Luminaries (nurses who are engaged in sustainability work and who share their stores on the Luminary Project website) who go beyond everyday nursing endeavors to proactively promote and protect environmental health. Potential awardees may be nominated by a colleague or member of the public, or may be self-nominated. The award requires completion of a nomination form and two letters of recommendation, one of which must be written by a nurse. 

The successful Hollie Shaner-McRae Nursing Student Essay will focus on how nursing students can encourage the “greening of health care,” and be specific to an activity that a nursing student could potentially do or is currently involved in doing. The essay can address a nursing student’s advocacy in the context of environmental health in the home, community, or workplace. The Student Essay award recognizes the environmental work of Hollie Shaner-McRae, DNP, RN, FAAN, Coordinator for Professional Nursing Practice at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, VT. It is open to all undergraduate nursing students presently enrolled and in good standing in a beginning nursing program in the United States and Canada. 

All awards will be judged by The Guiding Lights, the steering committee of The Luminary Project and the HCWH Nurses Workgroup Co-chairs. Winners will be announced in March 2013. Winners will be honored at CleanMed 2013, the nation’s premier conference focused on sustainability in the health care sector. 

Deadline for both awards is February 22, 2013. To apply and to see all award details and application forms, visit The Luminary Project awards section.