U-M School of Nursing announces Preceptor of the Year Awards

The University of Michigan School of Nursing’s Office of Practice and Professional Graduate Studies has announced the winners of the latest Preceptor of the Year Awards. These awards are given annually to individual preceptors and departments who have shown exceptional dedication to providing learning experiences and support to nursing students as they transition to advanced practice providers. Recipients are selected based on nominations through the faculty and student evaluation process.

In four separate categories, the School of Nursing recognized individual and departmental preceptors within Michigan Medicine and partnering institutions.

• The Individual Preceptor within the Michigan Medicine Family Award was presented to Diane Bohn (BSN ‘90, MS ’98), RN, ANP-BC. Bohn’s 31-year nursing career has been spent almost exclusively in the care of oncology patients and education of nursing students. In various roles as a nurse practitioner and supervisor at U-M’s Rogel Cancer Center, Bohn continued to precept both undergraduate and graduate students. Her love for teaching led her to positions on the U-M School of Nursing faculty for a number of years before eventually returning to oncology practice full time. She currently works in the Cancer Center’s Melanoma Clinic.
  
  “Diane was one of the best things to happen to me in graduate school. She is an instrumental leader in her department, a collaborative partner to her coworkers and supremely dedicated to her patients,” said Kelley Hodges (MSN ’19). “Her genuine investment in me as a student gave me the confidence to keep moving forward through a difficult program.  I’m almost a year into my career as an NP, and if I turn out half as good as Diane Bohn I feel like I’m doing something right.”
   
• The Departmental Preceptors within the Michigan Medicine Family Award was presented to the hospital’s Transplant Surgery Team, comprised of five nurse practitioners and two physician assistants who have been working together for many years. The group provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient clinical care to patients and families who are experiencing the transplant process. Jennifer Sharp, ACNP, Sue Mielock, FNP, Lavinia Pacurar, ANP, Emily Herriman, ANP, and Kari Brown, ACNP, routinely host at least one student every term along with Physician Assistants Darren Freeland and Shelly Riddell. The group is highly requested by U-M nursing students.
  
  “Jen and the entire transplant team were absolutely instrumental in my clinical time as a nurse practitioner student,” said Sam Neely (MSN ’20). “The team was very welcoming and always sought out the best learning opportunities for their students.”
   
• The Individual Preceptor from a Partnering Institution Award was presented to Kelly Strickler RN, MS, CPNP, IBCLC. Strickler began her nursing career at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor in pediatrics, NICU and mother/baby units before earning her master’s from the U-M School of Nursing and becoming a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner. She has worked at IHA West Arbor Pediatrics for the last 14 years, caring for healthy patients from birth to 22 years. She is dedicated to her role as a full-time preceptor, hosting more than 20 pediatric nurse practitioners students over the last decade.
  
  “Kelly helped prepare me to care for the entire pediatric population while always seeking new learning opportunities. If it was not for her expertise, caring attitude and desire for her students to succeed, my transition from a registered nurse to a pediatric nurse practitioner would have been much more challenging,” said Haven Shaffer (MSN ’19).
   
• The Departmental Preceptors from a Partnering Institution Award was presented to the IHA Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Team at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. The IHA Trauma and Surgical Critical Care program is comprised of seven surgeons and two nurse practitioners who handle trauma, acute and critical care surgery. The program evaluates nearly 1,650 traumatically injured patients each year while also providing ongoing didactics and clinical training for surgical critical care fellows, surgical and emergency medicine residents, medical and nurse practitioner students and physician assistants. The team has hosted more than 50 students from U-M’s Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program since 2013.
  
  “This team’s passion to teach is something that always stood out to me as a student. Dr. Anderson and his team always took time out of their day to make sure we were getting the best clinical experience and had the resources to succeed — it was one of the best clinical experiences I’ve ever had,” said Miranda Ruhlen (MSN ’19).

If you are interested in becoming a preceptor for the U-M School of Nursing, contact Jill McFarland at [email protected].