Nursing professor wins leadership award

Diane Skiba, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver's College of Nursing, recently was honored with the Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award. Presented by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, the award is given to an informatics expert whose contributions have the capacity and scope to enhance quality, safety, outcomes and decision making in health and nursing care from a national or international perspective.

Skiba works nationally and internationally to ensure all nurses have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice in a technology-rich health care environment. She has been appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice; is an honorary member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing; and is a member of the local Alpha Kappa-at-Large Chapter. Skiba also is an honorary fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and is an elected fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics.

"I am most honored to be receiving this award, as Virginia K. Saba in 1981 took me under her wings and guided me throughout my career," Skiba said. "She is a mentor and an inspiration who has always been there to nudge me forward and to provide me with opportunities that have shaped my career."

The award was established in 2005 by Saba, Ph.D., with a planned gift to Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing. Skiba is the third recipient of the Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award.