RGH nurses nominated for Nightingale Luminary awards

Courtesy photo Four nurses with Rio Grande Hospital have received nominations for the annual Nightingale Luminary awards set to take place in Alamosa at the end of February. Two of the five RGH nurses, Shannon Goldberry and Khrystynn Cano, are pictured.

DEL NORTE — Rio Grande Hospital recently announced that five of its nursing staff were nominated for the 2022 Nightingale Luminary awards and are among several others throughout the San Luis Valley. 

“The event hasn’t taken place since before the COVID pandemic and we are really excited to be able to attend this year and support our nominations,” said Rio Grande Hospital Development and Communications Officer Eva Timberlake. 

The Nightingale Luminary awards were established in the mid-1980s and have since worked to recognized top nursing staff throughout the United States. The award is gifted to nurses that worked towards the health and wellbeing of their patients through innovative, advocacy and leadership skills. According to Timberlake, there are over 10 nurses throughout the San Luis Valley that have been nominated for this year’s award, including five who come from Rio Grande Hospital. 

Local and professional individuals, as well as co-workers and employers all, have an opportunity to nominate a nurse for the award through letters of support that are submitted prior to the award ceremony. 

“We are really excited about our nominations this year, and these are people who have gone above and beyond the bar of excellence in their field. We are so proud of our nursing staff and look forward to seeing them succeed,” said Timberlake.  

RGH nominations 

Khrystynn Cano is an Emergency Room nurse who has worked at Rio Grande Hospital for almost 10 years. Besides working as a nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) currently, she desires to fill any gaps in the community that is needed. Recently, she requested to get certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). SANE nurses are registered nurses who complete specialized education and clinical preparation in the medical forensic care of a patient who has experienced sexual assault or abuse. Her innovation, loyalty, and commitment to the community are evident in her actions. Cano has been nominated for her innovation as a nurse in clinical practice.  

Sally Wert has been a nurse for over 18 years. She is involved in the community and her church. Sally is always advocating for colonoscopies. She knows the importance of early detection and educates people all the time. Wert has been nominated for her passion for advocacy as a nurse in clinical practice. 

Loretta Lowder just recently graduated from nursing school and though it can be a learning curve for many people in medicine, age was not an issue in this case. Loretta graduated from nursing school in 2019 (with her daughter). She worked on the hospital floor and soon started working in the surgery area. Her professionalism and leadership skills were immediately evident. She is often a positive voice and educator for many veteran nurses, which is important at any hospital. Lowder has been nominated for her excellence in leadership as a nurse in clinical practice. 

Nicole Martinez is a familiar face among the many at Rio Grande Hospital and though her struggle to become a nurse has been difficult, Martinez found it in herself to persevere and overcome obstacles that some could never dream of. A nurse for 3 ½ years, she worked to become a nurse after becoming a wife and mother and being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Martinez continued to work as she prepared for treatment and underwent not one, but two craniotomies. Martinez has been nominated for her passionate leadership as a nurse in clinical practice.  

Shannon Goldsberry was a CAN and ER tech for six years prior to becoming a nurse three years ago. She has seen the needs of her hometown and county. There was a need at the hospital where she worked as an ER tech and CNA before going to nursing school. Not only did she see the need for nurses at the hospital, but she also saw the need for the local fire department and the county's search & rescue group. She is also going to be the Trauma Nurse and help with our upcoming Trauma Review. Shannon sees the need and helps achieve the goal. She has been nominated for her advocacy as an Administrator, Educator, Researcher and or Nontraditional Nurse Practice. 

The Nightingale Luminary awards will be held in Alamosa on Feb. 25.