AMHERST, N.Y. – Several Daemen College alumni have been recognized as 2020 Nurse of Distinction nominees by The Buffalo News and the Professional Nurses Association of Western New York (PNAWNY), an honor that is especially significant this year as nurses have been vital in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are extremely proud to have so many of our Daemen nursing graduates among this year’s nominees for the Nurse of Distinction honor, which speaks to the high caliber of our programs and our alumni,” said Dr. Cheryl Nosek, chair of nursing at Daemen. “In addition to our incredible nursing alumni, a number of our nursing students have been working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis while completing their coursework and caring for their families. They have faced these challenges with a level of compassion and commitment that is truly amazing and both our graduates and students are an incredible testament to celebrating the Year of the Nurse in 2020.”

This year’s Nurse of Distinction nominees include Daemen graduates Janeen Bass ’03, ’11, bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing education, adjunct instructor at Daemen and clinical educator in the Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit; Nancy Hensel ‘17, master’s degree in nursing education, skills lab instructor in the Niagara University School of Nursing; and Robin McLaughlin ‘05, bachelor’s degree in nursing, infection preventionist at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.

Also, Michelle Monte ’12, ‘14, bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in leadership and change, nurse at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute; Julie Morton ‘19, master’s degree in nursing executive leadership, nurse manager of the Brooks Memorial Hospitals Emergency Department; and Kelly Whitsell ’00, ‘14, bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing education, adjunct instructor at Daemen and clinical educator at Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Daemen alumni recognized as Nurse of Distinction nominees are among others in the Buffalo Niagara region honored in May for National Nurses Month, which also celebrates the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing. This year’s honorees will be celebrated at PNAWNY’s annual awards event that will take place at a later date.

In a special Buffalo News supplement honoring 2020 Nurses of Distinction, the PNAWNY noted, “We commemorate our honored profession by highlighting the leaders and innovators who continue to inspire and influence us, and by recognizing the impact Western New York nurses have on health care both locally and nationally.”