Diamond Jubilee award recipients 2001

Connecticut Nursing News, Jun-Aug 2001

The Vera RL Keane Award for Distinguished Service to the Connecticut Nurses' Association '

Yohanna AL Casalini, MSN, RN, C, CNA

Yohanna M. Casalini has served Connecticut Nurses' Association (CNA) for many years, far beyond the call of duty and with extraordinary professional commitment and ability. As chairperson of CNA's Approver Unit and in addition to the 'usual' duties of this voluntary position, she teaches and coaches applicants and unit members related to the review and correction process. Throughout her career she has been actively involved in the American Nurses Association's (ANA's) constituent state nurses associations beginning with Delaware, Pennsylvania and then Connecticut. She is and has been a tremendous asset to the organization and exemplary nursing leader who personifies the essence of distinguished service.

Casalini has demonstrated inordinate patience and talent as she personally contacts individuals and organizations to secure information essential for approval of Continuing Education (CE) activities. She has worked tirelessly with Approver Unit members and staff to ensure that Connecticut's nurses receive quality educational activities that consistently meet American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) standards. Through these efforts she advances professional nursing practice across multiple practice sites..As a strong advocate of patient care through prepared, competent nurses she emphasizes her belief that educators must provide nurses with accurate and current information in ways that will have meaning for them, rather than to merely provide Contact Hours (CH).

Casalini's career has focused in the area of nursing education beginning with faculty appointments at University of Pennsylvania and then University of Delaware. After a number of years in academia she shifted her concentration to nursing service and staff development. After her move to Connecticut she held educational positions at Hospital of St. Raphael, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Ashlar of Newtown. Her active involvement in planning and implementing nursing continuing education programs that began as a faculty member at the University of Delaware still continues as she serves on CNA's Approver Unit and at Connecticut Hospice in Branford.

Casalini is a graduate of the Cornell University-- New York Hospital School of Nursing and received her Master of Science in Nursing from Hunter College, City University of New York.

The Agnes Ohlson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Nursing Through Political Action

Lisabeth Johnston, PhD, APRN, CS

Lisabeth Johnston is a psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has provided outstanding leadership in advancing both nursing and mental health care through political action. With enthusiasm, passion, energy, and unflinching spirit, Johnston has made valuable contributions to the advancement of advanced practice nursing through the political process using her legislative savvy, collaborative and, consensus building style, and innovative strategies.

During the '60s and '70s, Johnston was appalled at the lack of professional status for nurses. She found a role model in Hidegard Peplau, whose contribution to nurses' involvement in mental health care raised the professional status of psychiatric nursing. Johnston realized that the political process was the best way to move nursing towards a truly autonomous position in Connecticut.

Johnston was among several enterprising psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) who worked to enact third party reimbursement for Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) with An Act Concerning Insurance coverage for Certain Nurse Providers. She became a driving force to remove barriers to independent practice for clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners and to help protect confidential, comprehensive, high quality, affordable mental health care services at the state and national level. Johnston helped to secure Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for APNs, collaborated with other APN groups and CNA to move APNs a step closer to independent practice with passage of "An Act Concerning Advanced Practice Nursing," and supported initiatives for mental health parity and confidentiality of medical records that were enacted in the "Act Concerning Managed Care Accountability."

Johnston was one of four founders of the Connecticut Society of Nurse Psychotherapists (CSNP), to give the needs of CT psychiatric APNs a voice in the political arena. She was CSNP's first president and then continued on the board as Government Relations Chair. Her dedication and efforts inspired many to "get involved" and become politically active. Johnston's conviction is that nursing is the only health care profession that truly integrates the external environment and the person in its concept of health and illness through the legislative process. She has acted and continues to act upon that conviction and assure that patients have access to top quality mental health care and treatment by advanced practice psychiatric nurses.