Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital (NLFH) awarded this year’s Jean Ewing Nursing Excellence Award to Mary Beeson, of Wadsworth, who works in the Northwestern Grayslake Emergency Center.

She received the award during a Nurse’s Week luncheon for exemplifying the highest standards of professional and nursing excellence.

“This award could not have gone to a more deserving nurse,” said her supervisor, Dawn Frank, director of the Grayslake Emergency Center. “She goes above and beyond for her patients and has mentored countless nurses on staff at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. I have worked with her for 24 years and can tell you how lucky the program is to have her.”

Beeson began her career as a nurses’ aide at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in 1966. She has been a Registered Nurse since 1974 when she graduated from St. Mary of the Nazareth in Chicago. In 1979, she moved from the Intensive Care Unit to Emergency Services and has worked in the E.R. since that time.

She is a trauma nurse specialist, certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Beeson also sits on the Exemplary Practice Council at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.

Eight years ago, Beeson had the opportunity to help set up and develop the new facility in Grayslake, where she is now the charge nurse on the day shift Monday to Friday. “I’ve loved watching this organization grow,” Beeson said. “The team here has become part of my extended family. I was shocked when I heard I had been chosen Nurse of the Year.”

“Mary epitomizes the quality of nurses we have at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital,” said Vice President of Operations and Chief Nurse Executive, Kim Nagy.  “Celebrating Mary and our nurses during Nurses’ Week only begins to show how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication at our Magnet-recognized hospital.”

Beeson lives with her daughter and also has three grown children. Beyond her work at the hospital, Beeson serves on the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Coalition for Sexual Assault, which seeks to improve the care for those who are abused or sexually assaulted.

The hospital honored 10 other nurses with the 2011 Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Nursing Excellence awards. The winners are as follows:

Quality of Practice – Dawn Clarke, RN, of Lindenhurst. (Case Management)

Education – Jocelyn Evangelista, RN, of Grayslake. (Acute Care)

Professional Practice Evaluation – Julianne Brennan, of McHenry. (Emergency Services)

Communication – Christine Tilker, of Lake Bluff. (Day Surgery)

Collaboration – Stephanie Gray, of Barrington. (Emergency Services)

Ethics – Fred Bacaling, of Gurnee. (Extended Care Facility)

Evidence-Based Practice and Research – Darnell Keesling, of Mundelein. (Ambulatory Administrative Support)

Resource Utilization – Peggy Funk, of Grayslake. (Extended Care Facility)

Leadership – Sharon Scopel, of Lindenhurst. (Emergency Services)

Environmental Health – Sharon Dufault, of Mundelein. (Pediatrics)

The hospital also gave an award to outstanding members of the support staff, who are listed below:

Health Care Support Staff – Danielle Wiemann of Ingleside. (Patient Care Technician, Extended Care Facility)

Exemplary Leadership in Impacting Patient Care – Maureen Hunt of Libertyville. (Clinical Systems Manager, Information Technology)

The award recipients were honored for their quality and compassion in caring for patients, families and nursing colleagues and for meeting the American Nurses Association’s Standards of Professional Performance.

Nurses from the hospital’s Westmoreland Extended/Long-Term Care unit were also awarded the Speci-Cup (Special Presentation by Exceptional and Caring Individuals) for their innovative work, illustrated in their poster “Nurses Trusted to Care.”  The hospital presented the unit with a trophy during the May 11 celebratory luncheon.