HOUSTON – Eugenia Blomstrom, an assistant clinical professor in the University of Houston-Victoria School of Nursing, recently received the Excellence in Nursing Silver Medal in the faculty category from the Good Samaritan Foundation.

Blomstrom and other award recipients will be recognized at the Seventh Annual Excellence in Nursing Awards Luncheon on Sept. 15 at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel. Winners will be presented with a custom-designed medal.

Eugenia Blomstrom

“The Excellence in Nursing Awards honor those who have a passion for pushing the profession to excel beyond ordinary expectations,” said Ann Scanlon-McGinity, senior vice president of operations and chief nursing executive at The Methodist Hospital, and chairman of the awards selection committee. “We strive to recognize the best and brightest in the field.”

Award winners are nominated by their peers. Gold and silver winners are selected by a committee of representatives from the nursing community.

Blomstrom teaches in UHV’s Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Registered Nurse to BSN and Master of Science in Nursing programs. She specializes in psychiatric nursing care, and also teaches theory, policy and clinical care.

She found out about the award while in Cancun, Mexico, where she was presenting her research project on polypharmacy in the elderly population at a national research conference.

“I found out via email, and there was another email from the dean,” she said. “I was amazed and really felt good about it. It is quite an honor to be recognized by the foundation.”

Blomstrom said she tried to project success to her students, which reflects well on the university and positively affects the entire health care industry.

“I stress to my students that faculty members are here to make sure they do well,” she said. “Our responsibility is to give them all the tools they need. When they are successful, UHV is successful, the School of Nursing is successful, and society benefits because they get quality nurses.”

Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UHV School of Nursing and chairwoman of the Excellence in Nursing luncheon, said Blomstrom has been a key part of the growth of the program.

Kathryn Tart

“Dr. Blomstrom presents a wonderful example to the students in servant leadership, perseverance and encouragement,” Tart said. “Each day through her actions, she shows those who plan to enter the nursing profession how to be a passionate advocate for those who need nursing care.”

Blomstrom was the fifth UHV faculty member in three years to be recognized with an Excellence in Nursing award. Last year, Tart was honored with a bronze award in the administrator category, and UHV School of Nursing faculty members Denise Neill and Angela Willis were given bronze awards. Linda Dune won a bronze award for faculty in 2009.

The Good Samaritan Foundation was founded in 1951 to address the nurse workforce shortage in Texas. Since then, it has given more than $15 million in scholarships to more than 12,000 students across the state. Along with granting nursing student scholarships, the foundation works with nursing schools to create innovative solutions to address the faculty shortage and rewards nurses who exemplify the finest qualities of the nursing profession.

For more information about the UHV School of Nursing, visit www.uhv.edu/nursingor contact recruitment coordinator Tammy Neeley Whatley at whatleyt@uhv.edu.