May 6, 2021 – Two nursing students were awarded the R. Helen Cleland RN Award presented by the Decatur Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Sarah Weller of Pittsboro, Indiana, a senior nursing student at Millikin University, and Sydney Wright of Decatur, who is completing her first year as a nursing student at Richland Community College, were each awarded $500 in honor of their academic achievements in their respective nursing programs.
Weller is an honors student at Millikin as well as a member of the women’s soccer team. She recently completed an honor’s program capstone project, “Improving the Continuity of Care for Chronic Pain Patients in the Acute Care Setting.”
In addition to maintaining academic excellence in her nursing program at Richland Community College, Wright is a patient care technician at Decatur Memorial Hospital, which has provided her with firsthand experience and knowledge in patient care.
Weller and Wright were nominated to receive the biannual Cleland Award by instructors in their respective nursing programs.
R. Helen Cleland, an early visionary leader, was the first superintendent of the newly built Decatur and Macon County Hospital in 1915 (now Decatur Memorial Hospital). As superintendent, Cleland oversaw not only hospital operations, but also the recruitment, training, and supervision of the first group of nurses.
