3 Pitt Nursing people were recognized at the 2023 Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania

Three people from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing were honored at the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania’s (NAP) 34th annual gala and celebration on Oct. 27.

NAP is a statewide nonprofit organization focused on recognizing exemplary nursing practice and granting scholarships to students pursuing degrees in nursing at all levels. Since it began in 1989, the organization has provided more than 200 nursing scholarships totaling over $410,000 and has honored more than 800 Pennsylvania nurses at its annual gala.

Elizabeth Schlenk, associate professor and associate dean for graduate clinical education, won the 2023 award for Nursing Education – Academia. She is an academic researcher with more than 20 years of experience researching behavioral science to promote healthy lifestyle behavior changes and adherence to treatment regimens in adults with chronic disorders.

Marci Nilsen was a finalist in the Nursing Research award category. The assistant professor studies identification, treatment and interventions focused on the management of symptoms and treatment-related effects in head and neck cancer survivors. Nilsen (NURS ’05, ’08G, ’13G) is also a member of the Oncology Nursing Society, the Gerontological Society of America and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Alice Cline, who is a graduate student researcher at Pitt Nursing and a nurse-midwife, was the recipient of this year’s NAP PhD scholarship. She was one of eight winners, who received a total of $45,000.