Nursing professor receives lifetime achievement award

Goode

Colleen J. Goode, a professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, recently received the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award honors an AONE member recognized by the broader nursing community as a significant leader in the nursing profession and who has served AONE in an important leadership capacity – demonstrating the qualities of leadership and service to the nursing profession by their professional and personal example.

Goode will be honored at an award presentation during the AONE 44th Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego on April 14.

"I learned so much about leadership by being involved in AONE," Goode said. "Serving on the AONE Board of Directors, several AONE committees, and attending regional and national AONE meetings made me realize the importance of lifelong learning. I am very honored to receive this award – especially because it comes from my peers."

Goode has dedicated her professional career to advancing the quality of nursing education and patient care. From 1997 to 2009, Goode worked at the University of Colorado Hospital, serving as vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer, and as an associate dean for nursing practice. Under her leadership, the University of Colorado Hospital gained Magnet status for excellence in nursing care in 2002. In 2010, the hospital received its third Magnet redesignation, which only 1 percent of hospitals in the United States have received.

Goode graduated from the University of Iowa's college of nursing with a bachelor of science in nursing degree and received her master's in nursing management and family nursing from Creighton University. She then received a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Her influence on the nursing profession became evident soon afterward, when she designed and led the adoption of an evidence-based practice as director of nursing at a small regional hospital. The effects of this "Iowa Model" were felt worldwide as other institutions began to use the innovative care delivery model.

While at the University of Colorado Hospital, Goode co-chaired a team that developed the nation's first post-baccalaureate nurse residency program and assembled a highly educated nursing department, where 87 percent of the staff holds baccalaureate degrees compared to the national average of 40 percent.

Goode has contributed research to the nursing field in the areas of autonomy, recognition, care delivery models, evidence-based administrative protocols, and the impact of staffing on patient outcomes. Her meta-analysis documented the evidence for use of saline instead of heparin to irrigate peripheral IVs. This research changed practice across the U.S. and internationally, leading to safer and more cost-effective care. She also has received numerous awards and has authored more than 60 professional journal articles.