Twenty-seven nurses from throughout Barrow Neurological Institute have acquired more training and education during the last two years, thanks to the Women’s Board of Barrow Neurological Foundation.
What began as a project to recognize Barrow nurses for their educational accomplishments and to help them look more professional has expanded into programs that send some nurses to conventions and enable others to pursue an advanced degree.
“We wanted them to look more like nurses, so we started giving them white jackets,” explains Jean Meenaghan of the original project. “When they received their CNRN (Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse) accreditation, we would give them a white jacket with their name and area of specialty.”
Meenaghan is a nurse by background. Before starting her family, she was a surgical nurse in New York and then worked as an industrial and school nurse there. When she joined the Women’s Board in 1999, she brought along her passion for nursing.
“Once you’re a nurse, you never stop being one,” she says. “Nurses are so important, but they don’t get the recognition they deserve.”
At Barrow, Meenaghan became acquainted with Julie Ward, RN, now vice president of Nursing at St. Joseph’s. It was Ward, says Meenaghan, whose ideas inspired the Women’s Board to develop the white jacket and scholarship.
Every year since 2005, the Women’s Board has paid for 10-20 nurses to attend annual conventions of professional nursing organizations. “They are very involved,” says Meenaghan of the participating nurses. “They make these big, beautiful posters showing what they learned. They really give terrific publicity for Barrow every time they go to a convention.”
In 2007, the Women’s Board Scholarship Fund was established, and the first four scholarships were presented in the fall of 2009. The Women’s Board intended to award three scholarships of $2,500 each, but four applicants so impressed them that they decided to make an exception and grant four awards.
Academic scholarships were given to Marinor Condes, Shayna Laub, and Mariellen Solis, while Cindy Bordson received a fellowship to study epilepsy under David Treiman, MD.
For Shayna Laub, receiving the $2,500 award means that she can accelerate her pursuit of a master’s degree in nursing leadership at Grand Canyon University.
“I’m proud to say I work for Barrow,” Laub says. “You get to learn every day. There’s always something new. It’s an amazing place.”
It is that enthusiasm for Barrow that earned Laub a scholarship from the Women’s Board, says Meenaghan “They have to be committed to education and to improving their knowledge. And I guess they have to be at least a little enthusiastic about Barrow.”
