The Villages Nurses Club celebrated Nurse Week with a luncheon Tuesday at Savannah Center.
Nurse Week is from May 6 to May 12 this year. During this time, nurses will be honored as we are reminded of their contributions to healthcare and their sacrifices to patients. The first Nurse Week was a celebration and marked the 100th birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing.
The club decided to honor that tradition with a special speaker at the luncheon.
Dee Collier, a former elementary school teacher, gave a first-person portrayal of Florence Nightingale as she recounted her life and contributions to medicine.
Immediately following Collier’s performance, the club handed out scholarships to four aspiring nurses.
Tiffany Bess was not present at the luncheon, but she was a recipient of the $1,500 Villages Nurse Club Scholarship 2023. She enrolled in the associate degree nursing program at Rasmussen University and has been scheduled to graduate in December 2024. Bess had a prior degree in government prelaw and worked as a patient care technician while being a mother of five.
Julie Jenkins was the recipient of the $2,500 Barabara Ann Weinheimer Scholarship 2023. She was enrolled in the associate degree nursing program at Rasmussen University and has been scheduled to graduate in March 2024. She worked as a full-time behavioral health technician while being a single mother of two.
Courtney Keen was the recipient of the $1,250 Russo Family Scholarship 2023. She enrolled in the associate degree nursing program at Rasmussen University and has been scheduled to graduate in March 2024. As a single mother of two, Keen planned to work hard and eventually become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, or CRNA.
Lauren Pike was also the recipient of the $1,250 Russo Family Scholarship 2023. She enrolled in the associate degree nursing program at Rasmussen University and has been scheduled to graduate in December 2023. She worked at AdventHealth and did school full-time as she planned to become a CRNA in the future.
After the scholarships were presented, five new officers were inducted into the club. A candle lighting ceremony was held as each position was handed over for the latest chapter in the club. The positions were as follows: Kathy Mele as treasurer, Pat Keeney as corresponding secretary, Sheri Silverman as recording secretary, Linda Bailey as vice president and Arline Reinking-Hanf as president.
