Hero in Action: Chamberlain Professor Honored for Outstanding Nursing

Ellen Poole, Chamberlain Professor of Nursing, was recognized as Arizona’s Distinguished Nurse of the Year for her outstanding contributions to the profession during the September 14 March of Dimes 2021 Heroes in Action awards luncheon in Phoenix, AZ.

“Dr. Poole has demonstrated leadership and expertise throughout her career in the areas of patient care, community services, and advocacy,” according to the March of Dimes press release. “She gives back to the profession in diverse ways, setting a positive example for current and future nurses.”

High esteem from her colleagues and students played a big role in Dr. Poole being honored.

“Ellen has long been a warm and welcoming mentor and guide to new faculty throughout her years here at Chamberlain,” says Sandra Abrams MSN, RN, and Assistant Professor for Chamberlain. “She has been a strong pillar of support to colleagues seeking a word of encouragement, a listening ear or clarification of a policy or procedure. She has enhanced the experiences of MSN and DNP students as they strive to meet their academic goals by drawing upon her years of experience as a skilled, capable, and knowledgeable registered nurse and educator. Her passion for nursing education goes far beyond her teaching pedagogy, into scholarly activities of research, publications, and presentations across our country and around the world."

Dr. Poole, PhD, RN, CPAN, CNE, FASPAN, has been a Chamberlain nursing professor for almost 14 years, in addition to teaching undergraduates, she teaches in graduate programs which lead to becoming advance practice nurses and nurse leaders. She’s also been recognized by Chamberlain as a faculty mentor.

“I try to strive to provide a deeper understanding of health policy and evidence-based practice so that graduates will become the change agents necessary for the next generation of nurses,” says Dr. Poole. “Not only are the students themselves from diverse backgrounds, so are their patients.”

A certified Perianesthesia Nurse and certified nurse educator in 2018, Dr. Poole was inducted into the inaugural class of the Fellows of the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses in recognition of her leadership, education and research contributions to the specialty. For more than 30 years, she has researched myriad topics in that specialty from family presence and patient education and published for and presented nationally and internationally on critical care skills, staffing issues and research methodologies. She has held many leadership and mentorship roles. She’s also a member of almost 20 professional nursing organizations including the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses.

Melissa Ruiz, MSN, RN, a faculty member at Chamberlain, applauds Poole for her “bold leadership, commitment to scholarship, outstanding integrity and advocacy for our students.”

“Through her leadership, it is clear that she loves this profession and wants to help all nurse educators to enjoy a rewarding career in leading the future of nursing,” says Ruiz. “Dr. Poole has consistently taken her time to mentor novice faculty to help them make the difficult transition from the bedside into the classroom. As one of her mentees, I found Dr. Poole was able to take situations in my new role and explain them with care and empathy. Dr. Poole encourages us to step out of mediocrity and embrace the advancement of our profession. However, she does not want us to step blindly into a new task. Rather, she encourages our team members to seek the area of nursing that they are passionate about and dive in!”

By Chamberlain University