A nurse of Southington Care Center earned one of Connecticut’s most prestigious honors, the Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing.

The Nightingale Awards honors nurses for going above and beyond clinical and educational environments.

The awards were created 21 years ago as a gala to celebrate and elevate the nursing profession, paying tribute to Florence Nightingale and her willingness to serve her patients.

On Monday, May 8, honorees attended another gala at The Convention Center in Downtown Hartford. Sharon Dempsey, LPN was honored.

This May, Dempsey celebrates 25 years in nursing.

“She commits to her work by working extra hours, providing residents with a continuum of care as well as offering peer support. Sharon has demonstrated her ability to draw from her deep well of clinical and personal knowledge to offer residents and their families a continued understanding and assurance of the quality resident-centered care,” says Cirie Dorosh DNS, nursing manager, Southington Care Center.

Rebecca Elliot, RN, was also honored.

In a little over a year at Mulberry Gardens of Southington, Elliot has made a significant impact as a nursing manager.

“Rebecca is always looking for ways to improve patient care. She truly has a desire to always do the right thing for the seniors she works with and this shows in the way that she fiercely advocates for all of our residents,” says Jacquelyn Gaulin, executive director, Mulberry Gardens.