New London — L+M Healthcare has announced the recipients of its 2020 Nightingale Nurse awards, which recognize registered and licensed practical nurses who demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, leadership and/or education.

L+M Healthcare, a member of Yale New Haven Health, includes Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Westerly Hospital, the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut, Northeast Medical Group and other ambulatory services. Award recipients are selected by their peers.

“I am proud to honor these Nightingale Nurses for their commitment to excelling in their nursing practice,” said Caren Lewis, chief nursing officer for L+M Healthcare. “To be recognized by your colleagues as a nurse who provides compassionate, patient-centered care is one of the greatest compliments, and they should be proud of this achievement. Even though the pandemic forces us to be socially distant at this time, we still recognize the outstanding work of these Nightingale Nurses and all our nursing heroes.”

This year’s honorees are:

• Patricia (Trish) Barber, BSN, RN, geriatric psychology inpatient — Barber offers suggestions for connections to care and for interventions to use with patients that are creative and effective. She stays current on evidence-based practice and offers her knowledge to the team to assure it is meeting the needs of patients and families.

• Alexandra Brown, MSN, RN, NE-BC, professional development — Brown supports bedside leaders by working all shifts, and can frequently be seen reviewing key initiatives at all hours, but particularly on the night shift. She has captured the true essence of nursing knowledge and applies it in a meaningful way.

• Taylor Dumas, RN, VNA — Whether caring for a child with the latest diabetic technology or a child that simply needs TLC, Dumas individualizes care to ensure each and every child experiences a successful outcome.

• Mathew Landeck, BSN, RN, case management/neurology department — Landeck is often perceived as “the man with the answers.” He is a natural leader who takes each patient’s care seriously, and gives his all to their safety and well-being. He works tirelessly to make sure that patients are getting the care they need to be discharged to home safely.

• Darlene Marinelli, RN, VNA — Marinelli’s upbeat personality, nurturing care and expert nursing knowledge has positively touched her patients, their families, and her co-workers. She always steps in to help mentor new nurses, provides honest feedback and demonstrates how nursing is more than what is in a patient’s plan of care. She is frequently requested by patients to be their case manager.

• Veronica Napolitano, RN, Pequot Emergency Department — Napolitano is a reliable charge nurse and a fabulous mentor as she always has the patients', staff's and the entire department’s well-being in mind. She has mentored her two daughters who want to become RNs themselves and now work in the ICU and Emergency Department.

• Elizabeth (Zeke) Newbury, BSN, RN, CWON, inpatient wound care — Newbury has continuously provided the best possible nursing care on an individual basis for patients. She is able to converse with patients to identify their current living situation and sets goals to ensure that everyone is onboard with their wound care treatment.

• Jocelyn Oliver, RN, NEMG (Mystic and Groton offices) — Oliver understands that quality care goes beyond the delivery of evidence-based medicine, and she takes great care in providing information to patients in ways they can really understand. Her patience and thoughtfulness to ensure that the quality of a patient's experience is meaningful shows her commitment to providing true person-centered care.

• Kelsey Panosky, MSN, RN-BC, CNE, C-EFM, maternity — Panosky treats all of her patients as individuals, with kindness, compassion and respect. She is tireless in her desire to provide excellent care and to make every family's experience the best it can possibly be. She supports patients’ birth plans, goals and requests, as evidenced by the patients' glowing reviews of her.

• Jennifer Scotti, RN, neurology — One of Scotti’s greatest attributes is how she facilitates patient- and family-centered care on a daily basis. No matter what the barrier may be or how difficult the patient or family situation is, she continues to embrace these challenges and barriers by going above and beyond to deliver kind and compassionate care.

• Rachael Silvia, BSN, RN-BC, Medical/Surgery — Silvia worked with a team to create new white communication boards in patient rooms to better meet the patients' needs. She worked in collaboration with another department to create programs that will engage staff members as a way for them to get to know one another.

• Ashly Thatcher, BSN, RN — Thatcher starts off her day checking the assignment, making sure it is safe for everyone involved. She then takes on her own patient assignment, is charge nurse, delivers safe and efficient care, works in management, advocates for the patients and continues to be a pillar of support and leadership on the floor.

• Cynthia Williamson, LPN, NEMG (Mystic office) — Williamson consistently supports the well-being of patients and brings extensive skills and compassion to her role. She is unfailingly humble and kind and has earned the respect of everyone. She embodies the qualities we all associate with nurses.