Baltimore Magazine 2024 Top Nurses
28 Johns Hopkins Nurses Receive Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore Magazine
This year, 28 outstanding Johns Hopkins nurses have been named “top nurses” by Baltimore magazine, and are being presented with the publication’s 2024 Excellence in Nursing award.
The nurses were chosen from hundreds of nominations submitted by peers, supervisors and patients. An expert panel of senior nurse advisers reviewed the nominations and selected the region’s top nurses for their extraordinary contributions to health care.
Congratulations to our 2024 Baltimore magazine Excellence in Nursing award winners and all the exceptional Johns Hopkins nurses who provide extraordinary care and expertise every day.
Meet Johns Hopkins’ Excellence in Nursing award winners, and read why each is proud to be a nurse:
Kristie Amend, B.S.N., R.N.
Lead Clinical Nurse
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Surgery, Med-Surg/Telemetry Unit
"I am proud to be a nurse because I can make a positive impact on people’s lives every day by providing care and support during their most vulnerable moments. It is fulfilling to know I can make a difference in someone’s life. It is an incredibly rewarding profession. Mostly, I am proud to be a Hopkins nurse for the past 24 years!"
M. Tanishia Bailey, B.S.N., R.N.
Johns Hopkins Care at Home
Disease Management/Remote Patient Monitoring
"There’s no greater joy I have than being able to help patients in need, providing them with care, information and techniques to promote a better quality of life. Nursing offers a unique blend of challenge, reward and the chance to make a lasting impact on every life you touch. Providing telephonic nursing care is a unique and evolving service that I am proud to be a part of."
Dianne Bettick, M.S.N., A.C.N.S.-B.C., R.N.
Johns Hopkins Health System ACS NSQIP Registry Manager and Geriatric Surgery Coordinator
Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
"Implementing best practice to improve the care we provide our senior patients and collaborating with my colleagues from all disciplines, across the entity as well as the health system, who are equally committed to making this change a reality is one reason I am proud to be a nurse. Data drives everything we do in health care today, and the opportunity to use this data to effect change, gather resources where most needed, support those at the bedside and improve outcomes in our patients is another reason I am proud to be a nurse. But to know the work you are doing is to make the life of even one person better — a patient, a family member, a loved one, even my fellow clinicians, — is the reason I do what I do every day."
Jeanne Charleston, B.S.N., R.N.
Director of Clinical Research Operations
Johns Hopkins ProHealth
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
"What I find most rewarding about my career as a nurse is that I am advancing diversity and health equity. I enjoy what I do and I have been able to fulfill one of my goals to help eliminate health disparities."
Mikal Crosby, B.S.N., R.N.
RN II
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Adult Mood, Meyer 4 — Adolescent/Young Adult Mood and Eating Disorder Unit and ECT
"I feel honored to be in a profession that allows me the opportunity to impact so many lives. Each day, I strive to provide the utmost care and compassion when my patients need it most. My favorite part is making sure that my patients feel heard — they are deserving of optimum care. I am proud to call myself a nurse."
Ann Marie Cullen, M.S.N., A.P.R.N., C.C.N.S., C.C.R.N.-C.M.C., C.V.R.N.-B.C.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Medicine, Cardiac Care Unit
"I love being a nurse. I have always been drawn to cardiology since my father died of heart disease when I was 18. Nursing is constantly changing and advancing. This challenges me to keep growing as a nurse. I have had the opportunity to be a part of many different committees over the years, working to advance health care and to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. What has kept me in nursing is the people I work with and the patients I care for."
Amanda Cullison, M.A.S., R.N.-B.C., C.P.P.S.
Patient Safety Program Administrator
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
"I became a nurse because I want to help people and give each patient I work with the best care possible. It is amazing to see how nursing has grown and what we are able to do. I am proud to be part of this great profession and the difference we can make together for all."
Catherine Davidson, R.N.
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Johns Hopkins Surgery – Howard County
"Nursing is an incredible profession that allows us the opportunity to connect with patients across the life span — compassion creates a lasting imprint in the healing journey of those that we have the honor of treating and beyond. We transcend the dark times and shed a kind light for those we work for and alongside to ensure our communities are supported in the best ways. Through our conviction, passion, advocacy and mentorship, nurses help to carve a strong path toward a better future."
Lynn Desrosiers, M.S., R.N.
Lead Clinical Nurse
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Cardiac Surgery
"Nurses acknowledge that every human being needs to be seen, heard, valued and given the chance to lead a life with health, hope and fairness. Nurses not only acknowledge this shared humanity, but also serve as fierce advocates for the most vulnerable among us."
Carol Gentry, M.S.N., R.N., C.N.O.R.
Nurse Manager
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Perioperative Services, Pediatric Operating Room
"I am so proud to be working with the most talented team of professionals, caring for children 24/7 in the peds OR-periop services at The Johns Hopkins Hospital."
Jessica Groom, M.S.N., R.N., C.W.O.C.N.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Surgery
"I am most proud of the care my team provides to our patients. It is a privilege to be able to educate and empower not only patients and their families, but nursing staff as well. I will never take for granted the honor of being able to talk with patients during some of their most difficult moments."
Teresa Hiebler, B.S.N., R.N., W.T.A.
Clinical Specialist II
Johns Hopkins Care at Home
"I take pride in the ability to make a positive impact on people’s lives by providing comfort and support to patients and their families during their most vulnerable and difficult times. As nurses, we advocate for our patients’ needs and play a crucial role in promoting health and preventing illness through education and outreach. Additionally, the collaborative nature of nursing allows us to work closely with patients, their families and interdisciplinary teams fostering strong connections and relationships. It is deeply rewarding when we are able to see our patients recover, improve or just to find comfort because of the care we provide."
Alnicia “Smiley” Jackson, B.S.N.
RN II
Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Pediatric Oncology, Bloomberg 11 South
"What makes me most proud about being a nurse is caring for my patients and families beyond their diagnosis. Providing a safe place for them to be OK with vulnerability and fear throughout their journey, but also being the light during their darkest moments that provides compassion, commitment, motivation and hope as we fight for a cure together!"
Pat Kane, M.S.N., C.N.S., P.N.P.
Lead Nurse Practitioner
Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Pediatric Cardiology
"Over 40 years ago, I chose to be a Hopkins nurse. The dedication, compassion, creativity and multidisciplinary teamwork is unparalleled in the Children's Center. The days and nights are long; the patient stories are victorious and heart breaking. I’m recently retired but will be proud to claim I’m a Hopkins nurse forever."
Jennifer Kim, B.S.N., R.N., P.M.H.-B.C.
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Community Care Team, Population Health
"It is a great honor to be a part of the community care team. I am excited about having the potential to make an impact and change the way we provide and deliver care in our communities."
Elizabeth Logan, B.S.N., R.N.
Johns Hopkins Care at Home, In-Home Primary Care
"I am proud to be a home care nurse! I truly believe patients are happier and therefore more likely to heal and have better outcomes when they are in their home environment. It is not an easy task, but we make it happen. I am proud to be a part of a team that supports patients and allows them to heal and overcome barriers that care at home presents. I am inspired every day by my team and our patients."
Amanda Owen, B.S.N., R.N., C.W.O.N.
Wound Ostomy Nurse Specialist
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Medical Nursing
"I have always enjoyed being a nurse, and I have been able to take advantage of the opportunity to specialize in an area that is greatly needed. I am able to help people who have wounds and ostomies and potentially improve their quality of life. I also enjoy building relationships that last years with patients who have chronic issues."
Bonnie Phillips, B.S.N., R.N.
Regulatory Compliance Clinical Auditor
Office of Accreditation and Certification, Johns Hopkins Health System, Legal Department
"Nursing is a calling, it’s not a career choice. I have devoted my life to patient care in hopes of making a difference in their lives."
Amanda Pollard, B.S., R.N., O.N.C.
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Wenz Orthopaedic Unit
"Being a nurse allows me to interact with and care for patients at some of their most vulnerable times and to help them recover in any way that I can. Caring for these patients makes a lasting impact on my life and I can only hope that I have positively impacted theirs. Even on my most challenging days, I am proud to be a nurse!"
Alice Pons, B.S.N., R.N.
Oncology Clinical Research Nurse, Melanoma, Immunology, Gastrointestinal Group, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
"Research clinical trials advance cancer treatments. As a clinical research nurse with trials in immunology, I have participated in the advancement of cancer treatments in a powerful and positive way. The progress we have made in using our immune system to treat cancer brings me great pride. I am forever grateful to the participants in these trials. They are the heroes who have contributed to the benefit of humankind. It has been my honor to work with all of them."
Even “Wowie” Parduba, B.S.N., R.N., C.R.N.
Lead Clinical Nurse
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Interventional Radiology
"I am proud to have been a Hopkins nurse in interventional radiology (IR) for the past 20 years. I am fortunate to work in a very dynamic environment with a dedicated team of radiology providers and technologists. It is extremely rewarding to be able to provide the best experience for my patients by building trust, alleviating their anxiety and managing their pain during their procedure. As a lead clinical nurse, I am honored for the opportunity to mentor and support novice IR nurses to adapt to clinical practice, foster professional development and promote staff satisfaction that contribute to high quality patient care."
Alphonsa Rahman, D.N.P., A.P.R.N., C.N.S., C.C.R.N.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit
"Being a nurse allows me to do what I am passionate about and aligns with all the things I value most. The most rewarding part of my work as a clinical nurse specialist is empowering nurses and clinicians and equipping them with everything they need. This enables us to create efficient systems for our clinicians to provide safe and quality care to our sickest of the sick ICU patients and their families."
Megan Reiter, B.S.N., R.N.
Clinical Nurse
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Pediatric Epilepsy
"Years ago, I was inspired to change careers after watching my medically complex child receive compassionate care from his team of nurses. I wanted to become that source of comfort and strength that led me and my family through so many difficult days. This career has proved to be the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but it is also the most rewarding. I take extreme pride in the fact that I’ve come ‘full circle’ in that I am now serving as a source of comfort and strength for children and families during often their most vulnerable times. I feel so fortunate and proud to get to do this now at Johns Hopkins alongside the most amazing co-workers and supportive team of practitioners."
Rosemarie Rinon, M.S.N., R.N.-B.C.
Lead Clinical Nurse
The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Surgery, Marburg 2
"From womb to tomb, being a nurse provides a tremendous opportunity to touch a person’s life at some point. I am proud to be a part of it."
Ben Roberts, C.R.N.P., A.G.A.C.N.P.-B.C., A.C.H.P.N.
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, General Internal Medicine, Palliative Care
"Listening deeply, seeing wholly and advocating wholeheartedly are inherent to nursing theory and identity, with no less emphasis than monitoring and correcting acute clinical changes."
Aysha Sajid, B.S.N.
Clinical Manager II
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Central Nursing
"The delivery of health care, over time and especially after COVID, has changed. As an ambulatory nurse, I take pride in not just triaging patients, but also helping them navigate through different options/resources that are available in the community."
Ella-Mae Shupe, M.S.N., R.N., O.C.N.
Nursing Practice and Professional Development Specialist
Johns Hopkins Health System Centralized Nursing
"I have loved every day of my long nursing career. It is an honor to take care of patients during such a vulnerable time in their lives when they have to put their trust and faith in you, your assessments, your skills and your compassion. I don’t take that for granted. Often, patients feel like you are family because in addition to patients, their caregivers and loved ones also need your empathy and compassion, and they need to trust that you will take the best possible care of their family while supporting them through a difficult, stressful time. The excitement that I felt on graduation day, I still carry with me today. It is a great privilege to be a nurse!"
Tess Walston, B.S.N., R.N., F.N.E.-A./P.
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Pediatric Emergency Room
"I am proud to be a nurse, and very proud of the wonderful care I strive to provide my patients every day. I feel fortunate to be able to provide reassurance and comfort in what may be an uncomfortable time in the ER, especially for parents with a sick child. It’s truly a privilege to be trusted with the care of someone else’s child, and I will never take that for granted."