Four UCF students were honored with a VITAS Compassionate Heart Award at the College of Nursing‘s traditional recognition ceremony on Friday, August 7, 2009.
Karolyn Holmes, a regional recruiter for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, presented the nursing students with their awards. The students are:
- Gabriella Chaparro, an undergraduate student from UCF’s Cocoa campus;
- Binita Patel, an undergraduate student from UCF’s Daytona campus;
- Sandra Knapp, a graduate student from UCF’s Orlando campus; and
- Katie Greene, an undergraduate student from UCF’s Orlando campus.
In the hospital clinical setting, these students have consistently shown extraordinary compassion, not only for the patients they care for, but also for their fellow students. They are passionate about nursing, graciously care for their clients, and effectively communicate with empathy and sensitivity. According to their professors, they are recognized not only for their academic excellence, but also for intelligence, kindness, and willingness to go the extra mile in any situation. They exemplify the “compassionate heart” award, especially through their commitment to advocacy for their patients and their families.
On Saturday, August 8, 2009, Greene, Chaparro and Patel received their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees from UCF, while Knapp received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degree. As a Ph.D. student, Knapp successfully defended her dissertation entitled, “Effects of an Evidence-Based Intervention on Stress and Coping of Families of Critically Ill Trauma Patients.”