The 2023-2024 UNMC College of Nursing Creative Writing Awards announced winners for this year’s contest. The theme was “Nursing Does That,” encouraging students and alumni to write a story about an experience of how they were changed by caring for an individual who was different than themselves.
This was the first year offering a contest for alumni, who could submit a story on the same theme.
“We received stories from all our five campuses and from all our academic programs,” said Mark Darby, assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing and contest chair. “Our alumni were very supportive, providing not only great stories but funds for our awards this year.”
Darby added, “The stories reflect the deep respect and care our students and alumni provide to the citizens of Nebraska. Nurses face difficult clinical situation and still provide high levels of care.”
This is the fourth year for the contest, which has provided more than $53,000 in awards and resulted in four student stories being published in the American Journal of Nursing.
The top award winners of the student contest will share their stories at a virtual banquet, available at this link, on April 25 from 5-6:30 p.m.
The names of the awardees and the title are below. For previous winners, see the Creative Writing Project website.
Student awards
Top award
- Emily Tanner, “Marge Dancing in the Rain”
- Julia Miller, “Your Secret is Safe with Me”
- Sierra Bryant, “I Know That Voice”
- Tayla Goettsche, “His Cat Named Oreo”
Honorable mention
- Greta Rosno, “To My Best Friend Grief”
- Kirsten Hepburn, “Just Hope”
- Kylee Solberg, “Fight Like a Princess”
Publication award
- Alyssa Ramsey, “Compassionate Care – The Heart of Nursing”
- Amanda Gould, “Nursing Can Make You Cry”
- Emma Wareham, “Nursing Does That”
- Ethan VanEnkevort, “Nursing Did That to Me”
- Gabriel Bodeman, “Heartbeat”
- Kaitlyn Gamble, “Pivot”
- Kia Scott-Sellers, “The Ventilator”
- Kylee Solberg, “A New Day”
- Lauren Longacre, “Strangers”
- Lisa Salisbury, “Nursing Does That”
Alumni awards
Alumni top award
- Jan Fuccillo, “A Change of Heart”
- Candy Lussetto, “Nursing Does That”
- Sharon Redding, “SR- Nursing”
Alumni honorable mention
- Rebecca Stone, “Beautiful Changes”
- Cindy Miller, “Imposter No More”
- Dawn Steinman, “In August Of 1979”
- Mary Martin, “Nursing Does That Changes Lives Forever”
- Katie Weaver, “The Limit Does Not Exists”
- Kay Rockwell, “Nurse Kay”