Nursing
Nursing is the pulse of patient care — especially at Stormont Vail Health. Our nurses are committed to providing exceptional care, consistently going above and beyond to treat, comfort, and help their patients. Our nurses understand that “Nurse” is not just a job or title, but a calling.
Join Our Team
Nurses are the backbone of our organization. That’s why we are committed to providing an exceptional environment to support nursing professionals at all stages of their careers.
In addition to jobs for registered nurses, our commitment extends to others who provide direct patient care on the nursing spectrum:
Patient Care Technicians
Medical Assistants
LPNs
Nurse Practitioners and beyond!
Find your place among the best by applying today:
Magnet® Recognition
Stormont Vail has been a Magnet® recognized hospital since 2009. As part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, Stormont Vail must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff.
Being Magnet recognized is the highest honor a health care organization can receive for professional nursing practice. This credential has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as:
Increased patient safety and improved quality
Increased patient satisfaction
Higher job satisfaction among nurses
Increased RN retention and lower nurse burnout
Investing in Our Nurses
Training & Professional Development
Whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned nursing veteran, Stormont Vail provides staff development based on the principles of Adult Learning Theory, as well as Patricia Benner’s Model of Novice to Expert. The model uses adult learning principles to build experience, competency, practice, and structure.
Emerging Leaders Program
The Emerging Leaders Program is to assist and develop the next generation of potential leaders. This program is open to all team members, in any position throughout the health care system, who have no formal leadership experience.
In this 6-month immersive program, Emerging Leader participants learn foundational skills needed to effectively lead a team, such as: Communication and Listening, Diversity & Inclusion, Emotional Intelligence, Crucial Conversations, Team Building and Conflict Management. Each participant is assigned a mentor at the beginning of the program and this partnership continues throughout the length of the program. In addition, there is an expectation to complete 3 Work Based Learning projects. At the end of the program, the Emerging Leader participants will have put together an extensive portfolio of the work they accomplished while in the program. Successful completion of the program can be substituted for 1-year leadership experience when applying for leadership positions.
Professional development opportunities are available for Stormont Vail nurses in multiple ways:
Continuing Education symposia, workshops, Grand Rounds and other opportunities
Education reimbursement
Nursing Research Opportunities
Grants to attend professional and educational conferences and seminars
Support to pursue professional certification
Professional contribution ladders for all levels of nurses
State of the art Simulation Labs with high fidelity simulator mannequins
Nurse Residency Program
The Nursing Residency Program at Stormont Vail provides residents with the opportunity to transition into their career with the support and encouragement of leaders and team members.
Professional Governance
Shared Governance is the foundation of all Magnet organizations which promotes a culture of nurse empowerment.
It’s why nurses at Stormont Health are the voice of influence. Through our structure of Shared Governance, nurses set goals and priorities that drive decisions for nursing practice.
Shared Governance promotes the development of nurses to become leaders in an environment that fosters autonomy, and evidenced-based decision making.
Our Shared Governance Councils include:
Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council
Practice Council
Professional Development Council
Communications Council
Leadership Council
Workplace Experience Council
Nursing Excellence Awards
The nurses at Stormont Vail Health are the backbone of our organization and we couldn't appreciate them more.
One way we recognize our nurses each year is by asking team members to nominate their peers that have made significant contributions to the nursing profession in patient care, the community, and at Stormont Vail.
Hundreds of nurses are nominated each year. While all of our nurses deserve recognition, these winners are pillars in representing, promoting, and demonstrating the five tenants of Stormont Vail.
2025 Nursing Excellence Award Winners
Excellence in Nursing Practice
Savannah Diegel, BSN, RN, Acute Care RN | Topeka Emergency Room
Excellence in Nursing Leadership
Elizabeth Barnes, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager | Spine Center, Join Center, TCU
Excellence in Nursing Mentorship
Lydia Johnson, BSN, RN, Acute Care RN | Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Excellence in Nursing Mentorship
Justin Barnes, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager | Behavioral Health
Excellence in Nursing Preceptorship
Daniel Breeden, ASN, RN, Acute Care RN Preceptor | Flint Hills Emergency Room
Excellence in Nursing Preceptorship
Martie Long, BSN, PNCB, RN, Acute Care RN | Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Excellence in Advanced Practice Provider
Tiffany McKinley, MSN, AANPCP, APRN, Lead Advanced Practice Provider | Topeka Emergency Department
Excellence in Licensed Practical Nursing
Audrieanna Robles, LPN |Behavioral Health
Excellence in Licensed Practical Nursing
Anita Chase, LPN | Digestive Health Center
Excellence in Patient Care
Kara Lang, Medical Assistant | Breast Feeding Center
Excellence in Patient Care
Hailey Daughty, Patient Care Technician | 7 North Cardiac
Excellence in Patient Care
Morgan Shae, Patietn Care Technician | 4 Pavilion
Excellence in Patient Care
Jenaro Fairley, Patient Care Technician | Behavioral Health
Rising Star
Heather Ferguson, BSN, RN, NBSTSA, Clinical Nurse Educator | Clinical Education
Rising Star
Samantha May, BSN, RN, Acute Care RN | 4 Pavilion
Research & Evidence Based Practice
Kathryn Baird, MSN, RN, NCC, APRN, Advanced Practice Provider | Neonatal Intensive Care
Excellence in Distinguished Community Outreach
Megan Thomas, BSN, RN Quality Program Manager | PCS Administration
Daisy Awards
The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize “super-human” efforts nurses perform. Stormont Vail Health is among more than 1,000 health care organizations committed to the DAISY Award program.
However if you hear a patient or family member of a patient express their appreciation for the quality of care provided by their nurse, please encourage them to fill out our online nomination form.
Nursing Annual Report
Stormont Vail Health strives to provide the highest possible care to our patients and community, as shown in our Annual Report to the Community.
Professional Practice Model
At Stormont Vail, the Professional Practice Model is a tool to ensure that all nurses have the same core understanding of what it means to practice in our organization and culture. The mission, vision, and values of the organization and nursing form the foundation of our PPM. With patient-focused care at the core, our framework is rooted within a patient-centered care-delivery model and Watson's Theory of Caring. The development of therapeutic relationships with our patients and team members along with expressions of caring are core performance and behavior expectations for our organization. Providing compassion and delivering evidenced based care, working collaboratively and respectfully with our team members and our valued patients and families, ensures the highest quality of care. Emerging nursing areas tied to practice include promoting wellness for nurses themselves, patients, and the community; care transformation through the ways and models that care is provided; and improved patient experience by embracing and enhancing the voice and feedback from patients and team members on expectations and experience.