Imelda Reyes, DNP Post-BSN Director & Associate Clinical Professor at Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, has been named as one of the two 2021 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Award recipients. Additionally, Emory nursing students Abby Wilwant, BSN, RN, CHES, Kristy Minno, RN, and Liezel de la Cruz, BA, BSN, RN, CCRC, have all been awarded with the Pediatric APRN Student Scholarship.
The Outstanding Advocate Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals that promote children’s health and advanced practice nursing, evidenced by Reyes’s long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the nursing profession and throughout academia. She was honored for her leadership at the forefront of APRN policy in Georgia, social justice in higher education and efforts to diversify our profession's leadership. Reyes also serves as the Treasurer of UAPRN of GA, taught Introduction to Healthcare Justice in Spring 2020 at Freedom University (an organization that empowers undocumented youth) and was recently appointed to the inaugural advisory committee for DNPs of Color.
Abby Wilwant, BSN, RN, CHES, Kristy Minno, RN, and Liezel de la Cruz, BA, BSN, RN, CCRC, have been named the 2021 Pediatric APRN Scholarship Recipients. Each of these students were asked to select a NAPNAP position statement related to health equity and discuss how they as future APRN leaders would make a difference in this area. The three women responded with information about providing compassionate care to LGBTQ youth, safeguarding the mental health of military families, and advocating for ACEs screening. Their answers and experiences displayed exceptional work which set each of them apart from other applicants.
This year, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners acted towards their mission to optimize child and family health in Georgia by organizing meaningful pediatric health equity, access to care and engagement initiatives for members, colleagues and friends. These award and scholarship recipients highlighted the result of their collective effort, recognizes student and clinician leaders, and celebrates our collaborative partnerships. Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is proud to have students who display such a thorough and extraordinary work ethic and who are devoted to providing quality care to patients.
To learn more about the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Outstanding Award and the Pediatric APRN Student Scholarship Program, visit the NAPNAP website. For more information on Imelda Reyes, visit her faculty profile. For more information about Abby Wilwant and her work, visit her LinkedIn page here. For more information about Kristy Minno and her work, visit her LinkedIn page here. For more information about Liezel de la Cruz and her work, visit her LinkedIn page here.