Nurse leaders from Long Island’s hospitals and nursing education programs gathered Thursday, September 19, 2024 at the Watermill Caterers, Smithtown, NY, to bestow recognition upon their nurse peers at the Nurse of Excellence Award Ceremony hosted by the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC). One nurse from each of the Hospital Council’s member hospitals was nominated for the award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and clinical practice. Deans of area nursing schools also submitted nominations recognizing nursing excellence in education and clinical practice.

West Hempstead resident Vincenza Coughlin  PHD(c), RN, director, nursing professional practice and education at NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island, took the top honor for clinical nursing excellence and Roosevelt resident, Rewa Thompson, DNP, RN, clinical associate professor at Stony Brook School of Nursing, took the top honor for nursing education excellence.  This year there were 21 nominees.  Those nominees were selected from a field of about 500 nurses at hospitals and teaching institutions from across Long Island.

Coughlin is a leading researcher, innovator, and pioneer in the world of nursing professional development and leadership. She has helped more than 500 nurses achieve professional advancement and promotion. She has presented her research at numerous conferences and developed the Nursing Education Competency Algorithm that serves as a validated framework for differentiating education and competency through standardization of practice. 

Thompson is a staunch advocate for women’s health and for health equity. She has developed initiatives that foster understanding and empowerment among nursing faculty, students, and community members. Thompson is a subject matter expert in the education workgroup for the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.

The Hospital Council’s annual salute to nurses is fashioned after the New York State Legislature’s Nurse of Distinction Program that ended in 1995. NSHC is one of the few hospital associations in the state to continue this program voluntarily. The NSHC represents Long Island’s not-for-profit and public hospitals.

For more information about this program and a full listing of nominees, visit www.nshc.org.

About the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State
The Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State advocates on behalf of hospitals in the Hudson Valley and Long Island regions. It engages key lawmakers and regulatory decision-makers in Albany and Washington to ensure reasonable and rational health care policy prevails.

About the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council (NSHC) 
The Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council represents the not-for-profit and public hospitals on Long Island. It works in conjunction with the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State to advance legislative and regulatory priorities.  NSHC serves as the local and collective voice of hospitals on Long Island.

About the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association (NorMet) 
The Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association represents the not-for-profit and public hospitals in the Hudson Valley region. It works in conjunction with the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State to advance legislative and regulatory priorities.  NorMet serves as the local and collective voice of hospitals in the Hudson Valley.