Denise Fall, a nursing leader and mentor, is the recipient of the 2014 Lloydena V. Grimes Award for Excellence in Nursing from the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing.
Fall, a 1998 graduate of LGSSN, is currently the hospital nurse executive at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center where she provides oversight for about 700 nurses, seven managers and four clinics. She previously worked in the Kern Critical Care Unit at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, rising through the ranks to become manager. Prior to that, she was a critical care nurse and charge nurse in intensive care where she helped create shared governance initiatives and promoted collaborative leadership opportunities.
“Denise is a wonderful example of the impact Linfield graduates are having on the nursing profession,” said Mallie Kozy, dean of the School of Nursing. “Her leadership not only includes serving as a mentor for current nurses, but also serving as a leader for nurses throughout the state and region, helping shape their role in the ever-changing field of health care.”
In addition to her Linfield degree, Fall earned a master’s in health care systems management from Loyola University. She co-wrote the chapter “Selecting, Supporting and Sustaining Preceptors” for the book “Mastering Precepting: A Nurse’s Handbook for Success,” designed to help shrink the gap between what students learn in nursing school and what they need to know in clinical settings.
She is an active mentor, encouraging nurses to seek additional training, and is involved with leadership activities through the Oregon Center for Nursing. She often speaks on the role of nurses in the changing health care landscape, and how they must be able to function in many different arenas.
“Denise represents the future of nursing leadership at Legacy,” said Carol Bradley, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Legacy Health. “It is meaningful to have the professional community identify Denise as a leader and recognize her for the nursing excellence that she represents.”
In addition to OCN, Fall is involved in numerous other professional organizations including the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau, the international society of nursing, and AONE, the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
The Lloydena V. Grimes Award for Excellence in Nursing is presented annually to a Linfield graduate who has displayed excellence in the nursing profession. It is named in honor of Grimes, a nursing leader in the State of Oregon and director of Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing for 30 years.
