Former ENA President Receives Emergency Nurses Association’s Most Prestigious Award

ENA’s annual achievement awards recognize exemplary emergency nursing professionals  

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (June 13, 2019) – The Emergency Nurses Association on Thursday announced Matthew F. Powers, MS, BSN, RN, MICP, CEN, FAEN, as the recipient of the association’s most prestigious honor – the 2019 Judith C. Kelleher Award.

ENA recognized Powers – the association’s 2015 president and one-time interim executive director – for his career-long contributions to emergency nursing, as well as his continued professional excellence. Powers, of Pleasant Hill, California, joined ENA in 2000, served on the board of directors between 2010 and 2015, and is currently chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee and the EMS Advisory Council.

“As someone fortunate enough to have known Judy for many years, I must say this is a true heartfelt honor that words cannot fully describe,” said Powers, a battalion chief who oversees the North County Fire Authority’s EMS division and is the assistant nurse manager in the Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek emergency department.

In total, ENA announced recipients of 15 individual awards that highlight emergency nurses who exemplify exceptional performance in professional practice, innovation, leadership and advocacy. ENA President Patti Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN, said the honorees embody the association’s “Committed to Care” mantra.

“It is an honor for any member to be nominated for an ENA award by their colleagues. The exemplary care and accomplishments of these award recipients are a testament to their commitment to their patients and the profession of emergency nursing,” Howard said. 

All 2019 ENA Annual Achievement Award recipients will be recognized at Emergency Nursing 2019 in Austin, Texas, Sept. 29-Oct. 2:

Barbara A. Foley Quality, Safety and Injury Prevention Award: Mary Pargin, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, of Indiana

Behind the Scenes Award: Jane Friona, MHSA, BS, of Indiana

Clinical Nurse Specialist Award: Jean Proehl, MN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, FAEN, FAAN, of New Hampshire

Frank L. Cole Nurse Practitioner Award: Nycole Oliver, DNP, RN, APRN, CEN, ACNPC-AG, FNP-C, of Arkansas

Gail Lenehan Advocacy Award: Penelope (Penny) Blake, RN, CEN, CCRN, of Florida

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kathy Robinson, RN, FAEN, of Pennsylvania

Media Award: Fast Facts for the Triage Nurse: An Orientation and Care Guide, 2^nd Edition – Lynn Sayre Visser, MSN, RN, PHN, CEN, CPEN and Anna Montejano, DNP, RN, PHN, CEN, of California

Nurse Manager Award: Joseph Kennon, RN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, of Arkansas

Nursing Competency in Aging Award: Vicki Patrick, MS, APRN, CEN, ACNP-BC, FAEN, of Texas

Nursing Education Award: Lisa Eckenrode, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, NRP, TCRN, of Pennsylvania

Nursing Practice and Professionalism Award: Christine Gisness, MSN, RN, FNP, CEN, ATCN, ENP-C, FNP-C, TCRN, FAEN, of Georgia

Pediatric Readiness Improvement Award: Karen Kaskie, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, of South Dakota

Rising Star Award: Kristine Klausing, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, of Ohio

Team Award: Stroke Team Project Committee – Good Samaritan Hospital, Vincennes, Indiana