2015 Award Winners

The Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA) recognized several Wyoming nurses during their annual award lunch, on Friday, September 25, at the Best Western Ramkota, Casper. The award luncheon was held in conjunction with the Wyoming Nursing Summit and Convention.

5 in 15 Award Winners

This year’s theme – “5 in ‘15 – aims to spotlight 5 inspiring nurses for their skills today, and promise for tomorrow. The intention is to celebrate and encourage exemplar dedication to the nursing profession, dedicated service to the population and promise to grow in leadership for the advancement of nursing in Wyoming.

The Emerging Leader Award aims to recognize significant or unique contributions to leadership within the nursing profession through clinical practice, education and teaching, administrative leadership, research, writing, publishing, policy involvement, and/or healthcare innovation. Additionally, the award places emphasis on demonstrated leadership in community affairs, nursing professional organizations, and growth and development of others in these areas while positively promoting and advancing the nursing profession in the community (local/global) through volunteerism/outreach efforts, legislative work, and policy development.

Maria Kidner APRN, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, (Cheyenne) is licensed as an APRN in Wyoming and works at Alpha Family Medicine. She spent a year doing humanitarian work in Rwanda and, while there, setup new processes to better serve the population. Dr. Kidner has demonstrated her large contribution to the nursing profession through WNA local, state, and National activities. She is also very active in the Advanced Association of Advanced Practice Nurses and currently elected as the Wyoming Representative. She has been a great mentor to others, and a presenter at meetings locally, state wide and nationally.

Josephine LeMaster, MSN, RN-CCMH, (Gillette) is the Director of Maternal Child Services at Campbell County Health. She serves on several committees including the Pain Team and the Infection Prevention Committee. Through her work, Josie contributed to the promotion of health and wellness for moms and babies within the community. She is also a CPR instructor, ACLS instructor, PALS instructor, NRP instructor, and STABLE instructor. She is nationally certified in Fetal Assessment through AWHON.

Whitney Shawver, BSN, RN, (Gillette) is a nurse at Campbell County Memorial Hospital Cancer Center. She was the first LPN ever hired in the Cancer Center and created the role of clinic nurse for the physician. She worked full time while going to school and transitioned to the role of infusion nurse. Whitney has been instrumental in creating educational material for the patients.

Shelby Williams MS, RN, (Rocks Springs) is a faculty member at Western Wyoming Community College Nursing Program and also a nurse in the Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. She has been researching and providing the program evidence-based information to assist the college in student retention. Shelby also assisted in a capstone simulation experience for nursing students and will be the lead simulation faculty member in this academic year.

Wendy Wilson, BSN, RN, NCSN, (Casper) works for the Natrona County School District and serves as the administrative leader for 20 BSN prepared Registered Nurses in NCSD. She has established a monthly meeting forum that includes college education credits from the University of Wyoming. She serves as Education Chair and Regional Representative for the Wyoming School Nurses Association/National School Nurses Association. Wendy was selected as a Leadership Wyoming candidate in 2009 and is an active member of the LW Alumni Association. She has also been involved with Safe Kids, Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority and many other community action organizations.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a nurse who has shown commitment, dedication and been an innovator to the community and the practice of nursing and health care in Wyoming.
Mary Behrens, FNP-BC, FAANP began her nursing career in 1964 at the University of Wisconsin with a BS in Nursing where she later worked as a psychiatric nurse. She earned her Masters Degree in Nursing from the University of Colorado in 1967 while working at Denver General with her husband, Jerry, and raising her children. Working with Friendship Bridge, Mary traveled to Vietnam several times between 1995-2013 to teach and mentor nurses. She has held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wyoming where she received her Post-Masters Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 1998. Mary has served on the Advisory Committee at the University of Wyoming since 2007 and is currently serving on a Steering Committee to head up a new nursing building at the University of Wisconsin, School of Nursing.Sen. John Barasso placed her award in the Congressional Record on September 25th that described her long history as a nurse educator, nurse practitioner and advocate for advanced training of nurses both in the U.S. and around the world. Her work with Friendship Bridge to bring higher medical education to Vietnam nurses was cited in receiving the award, along with her national advocacy for nurse practitioners.Behrens is a past-President of Wyoming Nurses Association (WNA), a Delegate to American Nurses Association (ANA) and served on the ANA Board of Directors from 1998-2004. She was appointed by the Governor as a Health Care Representative from 2008-2010. Mary has held offices in Casper, Wyoming as Mayor and City Councilman, and served as a State Representative in the Wyoming Legislature from 1987-1989. Additionally, she was the U.S. Delegate appointed to the 59th World Health Assembly in Geneva Switzerland.

Mary’s nursing accolades include Outstanding Service Award from WNA (1995), the Nightingale Award from the University of Wyoming (2005), the Barbara Thompson Curtis Award for Political Excellence from ANA (2008), State of Wyoming American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Excellence Award (2012), and she was recently inducted into the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners as a Fellow in June 2015.

Click here to view the Congressional Record.

Leadership in Nursing Award

Leadership in Nursing award is presented to a nurse who demonstrates creativity and strong management skills that empowers other nurses around them. They need to be an articulate spokesperson to promote nursing and be a change agent for innovative approaches to further the nursing practice.Alicia Le Pard MSN, MBA, APRN, is an independent nurse practitioner at High Desert Healthcare, In Gillette, Wyoming. She is President of District 10 Wyoming Nursing Association. In her career, Alicia has impacted patient care at Campbell County Memorial Hospital, Sundance Hospital, and Sheridan Memorial Hospital. She is a Diabetes Educator (CDE) and was a Clinical Instructor for the Rio Salado LPN to RN program offered in Gillette, Wyoming. Alicia has developed creative teaching methods for Diabetes Education as well as for ACLS, PALS, and TNCC. She holds four Masters Degrees and is an Acute Care and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and is working toward her PhD.

Excellence in Clinical Nursing Practice Award

The Excellence in Clinical Nursing Practice award is given to a nurse who is active in the development and delivery of community and patient education, exemplifying the caring attitudes of nursing. In addition, the recipient must be active in recognized

volunteer health organizations (March of Dimes, AHA, etc.)
Laura Castellanos, RN, CCRN, CPUI, is an outstanding clinical nurse and resides in Gillette. She is a leader among the nursing staff at Campbell County Health. She is nationally certified in adult and pediatric critical care and leads the Mock Code Blue team.