Jane Grassley, professor and Joanna “Jody” DeMeyer endowed chair for the School of Nursing, has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Anna M. Shannon Mentorship Award presented by the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) for her mentorship to students, researchers and colleagues.
WIN is the western regional nursing organization that succeeded the Western Council on Higher Education for Nursing. The organization exists to bring together a diverse community of nurses in a shared commitment to transcend the boundaries of knowledge development and application to advance the discipline and drive improvements in nursing practice and outcomes.
The Anna M. Shannon Mentorship Award was established in 1992 after Anna Shannon, a former dean and professor emeritus of the Montana State University College of Nursing, for her unselfish efforts to support and promote the professional growth of other nurses in the West.
The award recognizes individuals who serve as a role model for leadership and professionalism, are actively involved in supporting professional development of nurses and nursing students, place a greater emphasis on advancement of the nursing profession and communicate a vision of nursing to inspire others.
Grassley was an outstanding candidate due to her mentorship efforts for students and nurses in the Treasure Valley. Her scholarly work additionally demonstrates her efforts to support professional nursing development, as she has been key in introducing new breastfeeding practices from local to global levels as well as initiating national collaborations to further her research with these practices.
“As a teacher and mentor, Dr. Grassley inspired me to pursue my masters’ degree at Boise State University and served as my mentor and advisor throughout my program, which I completed in May of 2016,” said Cindi Bennett, lead lactation consultant for St. Luke’s Health System. “She was the chair of my masters’ final project, titled ‘Community Partnership with a Hospital and WIC to Improve and Support the Late Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Dyad.’ St. Luke’s Health System has since implemented this project in all eight hospitals and in three of Idaho’s five health districts, which allows all breastfeeding dyads to be connected with a breastfeeding peer counselor or staff before hospital discharge. It is a complete honor to work side by side with Dr. Grassley and explore new innovations of care for Idaho’s breastfeeding population.”
“We are so proud of Dr. Grassley’s mentorship work for new higher education nursing faculty,” said Ann Hubbert, director of the School of Nursing. “She expanded her passion and expertise for mentorship beyond Boise State to include 23 faculty from nine other schools of nursing, and those faculty are thrilled to work with Dr. Grassley!”
“Dr. Grassley’s greatest achievement as a teacher and scholar is that she empowers students to see their nursing world as larger than the ability to nurse individual patients. She expands their personal confidence and efficacy as contributors to the ongoing story of nurses promoting health for all,” said Pam Gehrke, associate professor and doctor of nursing practice coordinator for the School of Nursing. “She inspires students to learn more and to do more than they ever thought they could.”
“It is a pleasure to honor Dr. Grassley in this important way and to celebrate her many and highly significant contributions to the profession and her mentorship to so many nurses in the Western region and beyond,” said Paula McNeil, executive director for WIN.
Grassley will receive this award at the 52nd annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, April 11 in San Diego.
Learn more about WIN and the Anna M. Shannon Mentorship Award.