Virginia Nurse Receives National Association's Excellence Award

Sharon Fickley Accepts AWHONN Award for Practice

NEWS RELEASE: June 27, 2011
CONTACT: Jessica Gillman, 202-296-2002

Washington, DC— The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) today presented the 2011 Award of Excellence in Practice to Sharon Fickley, RNC-OB, BSN, for her excellence in clinical practice and continued innovation in the delivery of care for women and newborns. The award was presented at the AWHONN annual Convention in Denver, Colorado.

AWHONN presents its Award of Excellence in Practice each year to an AWHONN member with outstanding clinical expertise, dedication to promoting a professional image of nursing through practice, and contributions in their area of practice that have national or international implications.

A nurse for 17 years, Fickley is a shift coordinator at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. In this capacity, she maintains responsibility for the daily function of labor and delivery, mother-baby couplet care, newborn nursery, the obstetric operating room and post-anesthesia care unit. She teaches the AWHONN Perinatal Orientation and Education Program (POEP) and is an AWHONN Intermediate Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Instructor.

"Sharon Fickey's contribution to the practice and education of her fellow nurses is truly remarkable," said AWHONN's Chief Executive Officer, Karen Peddicord, RNC, PhD. "Her dedication to improving the practice of nursing will strengthen the quality of care patients receive."

Fickley holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts in English form George Mason University. She is currently enrolled in a master's degree program at the University of Virginia.

___

About AWHONN

The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of high quality, evidence-based standards of care.

AWHONN's 24,000 members worldwide are clinicians, educators and executives who serve as patient care advocates focusing on the needs of women and infants. A leader in professional development, AWHONN holds the distinction of twice receiving the Premier Program award by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for innovation and excellence in Continuing Nursing Education (CNE).

Founded in 1969 as the Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the association became a separate nonprofit organization called the Association of Women's Health and Neonatal Nurses in 1993.

Visit AWHONN on Facebook.

###