Saint Peter's University Hospital recognized some of its hardest working staff on Wednesday during the hospital's Nursing Team Day Celebration, which handed out awards to nurses and physicians who excel at their job.

The winners of each award were nominated by their peers through a web-based survey, said Elizabeth Wykpisz, Chief Nursing Officer for the hospital.

The award ceremony, held annually during National Nurses Week, recognized top performers in teamwork, mentoring, research and community service efforts. It also honored physicians who work exceptionally well with the nursing staff, and team awards for top performing departments.

The award recipients were as follows:

• First Year Award - Anuradha Pant, RN, BSN, OCN
• Nursing Mentor Award - Sharon Donlan, RN, CCRN
• Nursing Research Award - Jin Hee Ang, RN, BSN
• Most Valuable Player Award - Jennifer Cristobal, NUS
• Team Award - Community Mobile Health Services
• Partners in Care Award - Transport
• Physician Partnership Award - Dr. John Gallucci
• Friend of Nursing Award - Sister Mary Jane Bransfield
• Community Service Award - Jennifer Butwill, RN, MSN, NIC, PICU
• Aspiring Nurse Leader Award - Lynn Manley, RN, CCRN
• Advance Practice Nurse Award - Per Rosenkvist, RN, MSN, CCRN, ACNP, BC
• Nurse Manager Award - Avril Keldo, MSN, NP-C, RN-BC, OCN
• Lifetime Achievement Award - Annette Bruney, RN, OCN
• Rosie Tchorz Award - Ketty Cherqui-Falk, RN-BC
• Eleanor Higgins Link Award - Intensive Care Unit

Top Doctor Awards were given to:

• Dr. David Richards
• Dr. Nishit Patel
• Dr. Borislav Stoev
• Dr. Nayan Kothari
• Dr. Michael Goldberg
• Dr. Michael Gao

The nursing staff at Saint Peter's University Hospital has won awards outside of the hospital as well, including Magnet recognition in nursing for a fourth consecutive year, according to the hospital.

"National Nurses Week is one of the nation’s premier health care celebrations and one of the largest as well. The week is used to recognize the contributions and commitments nurses make as well as all they do to educate the public about the significant work they perform," a release from the hospital said.

In addition to the peer nominations, the hospital just recently launched a program called "Angels of Caring" in which patients and their families can nominate nurses or hospital staff to be recognized through a donation to the hospital. 

Michael Loch, Director of the Saint Peter's Foundation, said the program is still in its "infancy stages", having just started about three or four weeks ago, but aims to give patients a chance to specially recognize any hospital staffer who significantly impacted their experience at the hospital.

Staffers recognized through the program will be given an angel wings pin to wear signifying their recognition, Loch said. The hospital also aims to set up a website in which contributors can write stories about their honored nurse or staffer and how they impacted their lives.

Today, nurses at Saint Peter's University hospital will observe “Wear Your Whites to Work Day," and recite the following pledge, named after famous nurse Florence Nightingale:

"I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care."

(Pledge courtesy of the American Nurses Association)