Norwalk Hospital - September 30, 2003 COMMUNITY NEWS:... -
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Published on: 9/30/2003
Last Visited: 8/2/2004
Colleen Brennan, RN, BSN, of Westport, and Kathleen Dunn, RN, of Stratford, will be this year's recipients of The Connie S. and Betty L. Maniatty Award.
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The co-recipient of The Connie S. and Betty L. Maniatty Award, Kathleen Dunn, RN, joined the hospital in 1976 as a staff nurse, following her graduation from the University of Bridgeport with a degree in nursing.
She became administrative manager for Inpatient Psychiatric Nursing, then project manager for the hospital-wide "Projects in Change" initiative which led to her assignment to the Operations Improvement department supporting implementation of the recommended changes in hospital procedures and processes.Largely because of her professionalism, compassion and team leadership in this position, she was named executive director of Nursing Operations.Now Norwalk Hospital's executive director of Nursing Operations, Ms. Dunn has a long record of recognizing things that Norwalk Hospital can do better and then working diligently to see positive change understood and implemented throughout the hospital.
Most recently, Ms. Dunn co-chaired the multi-disciplinary, multi-department effort to propose then implement the replacement of all Norwalk Hospital patient beds, stretchers and patient-transfer devices with a state-of-the-art Total Care System - making Norwalk Hospital the first hospital-wide effort in New England.This innovative system was put in place last June.The beds allow patients to move automatically from supine to sitting to standing position, plus offers therapeutic mattresses and weight monitoring - all to make the patients stay and treatment safer and more comfortable, while lessening the chance of lifting and transfer injuries to nurses and other staff members.She has had numerous requests to make presentations on the innovative project throughout the state including an executive-level presentation to Quality Improvement and Human Resource Committees of the Connecticut Hospital Association.Ms. Dunn is a credit to her profession and to Norwalk Hospital.