2025 Excellence in Nursing Awards - Leadership
Jennifer “Jenny” Agnew
B.S.N., RN, OCN
Infusion Manager
From her nominator: “Jenny is a manager who wakes up to a call from her heart. She has dedicated many years to patients in the oncology realm. She encourages her staff and reminds them that they are a part of their patients’ cancer journey. You will often hear her say ‘bring your whole self to work.’ I think this is why we have such a strong group. Because of Jenny, our team is free to be vulnerable, ask questions, and bring ideas forward.”
Paul Bossé
B.S.N., RN, CNML, CRRN
Nurse Manager, Inpatient Rehabilitation
From his nominator: “Paul leads by example and has helped his unit earn recognition as one of the best rehabilitation facilities in the nation. This past year, during major renovations that impacted many services, he used his strategic skills to navigate the changes and keep things running smoothly. From my first day, he made me feel welcome and always checked in to see if I needed help. He’s still the first person I call. His leadership and dedication to his team and patients is truly inspiring.”
Thanh Cubria
B.S.N., RN, CMSRN
Assistant Nurse Manager
From her nominator: “This nurse leader is one of the most valuable team members because of her willingness to help others and bring people together. It has been wonderful to see Thanh grow professionally and to humbly shape our nursing practice. She has excelled in her ability to lead her team as she supports multiple departments and can see the big picture, allowing her to lead proactively, anticipate barriers, and engage the frontline staff in practice changes. She always gives 200% to everything she does with the unit, whether that is charging, office work, or even working an extra bedside shift. Her dedication is inspiring, and she is a great mentor.”
Danielle Emmerton
B.S.N., RN
Nurse Manager, CVICU
From her nominator: “How can one even begin to capture the impact Danielle has on nursing? While she clearly makes positive change through her participation in quality and process improvement projects, the way she truly goes above and beyond is by being herself – an energetic, compassionate, hardworking nurse and manager who puts her staff and the patients at the forefront of everything she does. Danielle has de-escalated any and all events of workplace violence and advocated for her staff’s safety with a tenacious nature unlike anything I have ever seen. She is possibly the most incredible RN manager I have ever met, and I am honored and privileged to work with her.”
Emily Lattanzio
B.S.N., RN, AMB-BC
Nurse Manager, Ambulatory
From her nominator: “Many co-workers comment that Emily never turns away from a patient in need. She continuously goes above and beyond her assigned duties to advocate for ambulatory nurses. She was pivotal in implementing changes across the system that enhanced safety for patients, providers, and nurses, as well as improved compliance. Her patient advocacy work and her role in elevating nursing deserve this honor.”
Gloria Menard
M.S.N., RN, NE-BC
Assistant Nurse Manager, SICU
From her nominator: “Gloria is passionate about transforming the workplace for the well-being of her nurses, recognizing the unique challenges of working overnight. She developed a sleep hygiene course using principles from the airline industry, created the Night Shift Council, and implemented initiatives like nightshift-friendly cafeteria hours and charity work. As a servant leader, she models collegiality and teamwork, and her peers know how deeply she cares about her nurses and new graduate nurses’ well-being.”
Kathrina Siarona
B.S.N., RN, CCRN, SCRN
Assistant Nurse Manager, Resuscitation Team
From her nominator: “Kat is not your ordinary nurse. She stays busy with numerous projects that improve processes beyond our small team. She has proactively contributed to multi-departmental projects, collaborating with all five specialty ICU leadership teams, nursing education, nursing informatics, the Code Blue Committee, and nursing executive leadership. Determined to lead the way, she advocates for nurses to have a stronger voice in all aspects of health care, including ethics, research, and leadership. Since joining us on the UTSW Rapid Response Team, Kat has been working hard for the betterment of us all.”
Deshonna Taylor
D.N.P., RN, CCRN
Director, Heart, Lung, and Vascular Services
From her nominator: “In her 36 years of nursing, Deshonna has never stopped learning, and through the most updated knowledge and skills, she provides the best care to her patients and serves as a valuable resource for nurses and nurse leaders. At the heart of her work, she always puts patients first. When a patient facing death asked for ice cream during her night shift, she made sure to bring him some, fulfilling his last wish with compassion and care. Deshonna is a complete clinician: being expert in skills and knowledge and at the same time, being humble and maintaining a strong rapport with patients, co-workers, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.”