Dr. Jessie Colin, professor and director of Barry University’s PhD, nursing executive leadership, and nursing education programs within the Division of Nursing at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, recently received the Nurse of the Year Award during the 6th Annual South Region Florida Nurses Association Symposium and Awards Ceremony.
Colin, who has spent more than 40 years of her life serving others through the field of nursing, was originally nominated by a group of students for the FNA Nurse Administration Award, which honors an outstanding administrative leader in nursing. From her original nomination for Nurse Administration Award, Colin was selected to receive the Nurse of the Year award, given to the most outstanding nominee from one of six award categories.
“Nursing is the backbone of providing care at the bedside. If nurses were not at the bedside hospitals would close,” said Colin of the importance of nurses. “It’s more than just looking at the wound; you have to attend to the most primary care, but you have to think of the personalized care. Patients enter the medical experience through the physician, but the care is delivered through the nurses.”
For Colin, the Nurse of the Year Award presented an opportunity to influence students to be the best they can be in sharing knowledge and experience in order to help others, a mission she has dedicated her life to. Colin has dedicated more than 25 years of her career as a nurse to education.
“The impact for me came from being recognized by a student. If your student is going to nominate you for an award, this, alone, is a humbling experience,” said Colin. “Then, my student let me know that there were a number of students who supported the nomination as well. The reception from the students was humbling,”
Colin believes that by continuing in education, one can influence the nursing field by looking at the practice through research and applying necessary changes to the practice. The experience she’s gained in nursing has provided Colin with an understanding of the field, which she has readily applied to her research and endeavors.