Left to right: Christa Blohowiak, Elizabeth Kaiser, Sarah Curran, Kathy Mallmann and Lindsay Schehr were celebrated Thursday at the Nightingale Awards ceremony.
Four top Wisconsin nurses and an exceptional nurse leader were awarded for their outstanding service by the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing and Board of Visitors during the annual Nightingale Awards ceremony April 20 at the Culver Family Welcome Center.
For almost 30 years, UW Oshkosh has hosted this prestigious event to honor individuals who embody the spirit of Florence Nightingale and demonstrate excellence in nursing practice, as well as nurse leaders who work in mid-management or supervisory roles.
Lindsay Schehr
One of the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice recipients, Lindsay Schehr, is a UWO College of Nursing alumna. She earned a nursing bachelor’s degree in 2010 and a nursing master’s in 2012. She now serves as a nurse practitioner at Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital in Portage.
In her role, she works within the rural hospital’s busy obstetrics and gynecology department and the women’s health clinic. There, she goes above and beyond to improve patient care, including creating a handcrafted C-section model to better educate and prepare patients, arranging meetings and funding for a freezer so the hospital could use donor breast milk in their labor and delivery department, fundraising for car seat strollers for patients to use at the clinic and more.
When caring for patients, she is compassionate and takes the time to listen to their needs, making them her top priority. She puts patients at ease with her immense knowledge and wonderful bedside manner, providing the support that every new mom needs during such a challenging and stressful time.
A lifelong learner and teacher, she uses evidence-based practice to guide her medical decision making. Outside of the hospital, she attends community events and visits classrooms, serving as a guest speaker to enhance medical education and spark scientific curiosity.
Additional Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice recipients include Christa Blohowiak, of ThedaCare; Elizabeth Kaiser, of Bethel Home; and Kathy Mallmann, of SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital.
The sole recipient of the Nurse Leader Award was Sarah Curran, of Advocate Aurora Health.
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