Purpose of this Award

The Academy of Neonatal Nursing (ANN) created this award to honor nurses who have distinguished themselves throughout their nursing career and also influenced the practice of others, whether through clinical mentorship, academia, clinical leadership, or development and publication of widely accepted, evidence-based clinical programs, and have thus improved the care of neonates.

Requirements for Nomination

• Submit a letter that outlines the contributions made by the nominee and why he/she should be considered for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Complete the nomination submission form below.
• Two letters of support of the nomination are required. These letters should state the title and position of the person supporting the nomination and the reason(s) they support the nomination.
  

Submission deadline is June 1. Self-nominations are not accepted. 

Presentation of the award is made during the ANN Fall National Neonatal Nurses Conference.

Recipient of the 2024 ANN Lifetime Achievement Award

Terry S. Johnson, APN, NNP-BC, ASPPS, CLEC, MN

Terry earned her undergraduate degree in theology and initially had no plans to enter the field of nursing. After talking with a friend who was a RN, her interest was piqued and she went on to earn her nursing degree at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. She completed a neonatal nursing rotation as a nurse intern after reading an article about the specialty in the Tampa Tribune. Little did she know this would jump start what would be an amazing and influential career in neonatology. She continued her education, earning a certificate in neonatal nursing from All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. She would later attend the University of Florida at Gainesville where she achieved her master’s degree in nursing with a specialty in child-health nursing.

Working in multiple different practice settings, her titles have included Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Certified Lactation Educator and Counselor, Clinical Educator, Director of Professional Education and Development for Prolacta Bioscience and Founder of Lodestar Enterprises, Inc., which provides professional and consulting support in the area of neonatal nursing.

After experiencing a life altering medical emergency while traveling on a plane to New York, she found her career shifting away from the bedside and towards education where she continues to leave a lasting impact. Her career interests have included the use of human milk and human milk-based products in low-birth-weight infants and necrotizing enterocolitis. Terry remains enthusiastic about the field of neonatology, appreciating the constant learning needed to tackle the evolving challenges that come with caring for infants. She has loved seeing the areas of technology, pharmacology and nutrition advance, allowing children who would not have survived at the start of her career now thrive.

With decades of experience in the NICU setting, Terry has additionally made contributions to our practice as a frequent speaker and educator at national and international nursing conferences, inspiring others towards evidence-based practice. She encourages the next generation of nurses to think creatively, explore their role at the bedside, and get excited about what they do. She has been the recipient of many awards throughout her career, which speaks to the impact she has made on our profession.

ANN is delighted to further honor and commemorate her contributions to the neonatal practice setting by awarding her with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Please enjoy this full-length interview with Terry and ANN Executive Committee member Stephanie Abbu.

2023 ANN Lifetime Achievement Award

Cheryl Major, RNC-NIC, BSN

Cheryl Major has made a profound impact in the world of neonatology. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Cheryl always had an interest in nursing. Following high school graduation she attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where she earned her BSN. She always enjoyed babysitting, especially infants, so it was no surprise that her first job would be in Newborn Nursery.

Moving from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, Cheryl began her nursing career working in the Vanderbilt Newborn Nursery in 1968. She would soon learn that she was interested in the Research Nursery that was being run by Dr. Mildred Stahlman, who was working to treat premature babies with hyaline membrane disease. At the time, treatment techniques using oxygen, intubation, and hand ventilation were being pioneered. Cheryl recalls making oxygen masks with thick grade plastic and tape to attach to oxygen tanks. She also recalls how the nurses took turns hand ventilating patients while recording vitals every 15 minutes. Additionally, at that time, blood was not available at donation centers as it is today. Because of this many nurses were screened upon hire to donate their own blood to babies who needed transfusions. In addition to the attentive care she provided, Cheryl gave her O+ blood to many infants throughout her career.

As neonatal research continued to develop during her nursing career, so did the concept to regionalize neonatal care. Three leading hospitals worked towards ensuring all infants, no matter where they were born, were given appropriate care. At Dr. Stahlman's request, Cheryl became the first Neonatal Outreach Coordinator for the Middle Tennessee region. She spent much of her time educating outlying hospitals on infant stabilization. Soon, a different need was identified. Before the time of EMS, families had to transport their own critically ill infants to Vanderbilt for treatment. Cheryl stepped up to address this, developing the transport system we now know as Angel transport. A bread truck, turned ambulance, Angel 1 launched in August of 1974, and was used to pick up infants from outlying hospitals, alleviating the stress for families transporting their own newborns.

One of the highlights of Cheryl's career would be seeing how these outlying hospitals progressed in the care and skills necessary to stabilize sick infants prior to the arrival of the transport team. Cheryl continued in her dedication to education and by 2011, Cheryl was noted to have taught the most NRP provider and instructor courses in the country, totaling 685 classes since 1989.

Cheryl continues to serve on many committees, including March of Dimes, and continues to work to improve the outcomes of mothers and infants as well as access to neonatal care. Her dedication to the neonatal community is evident in the many lives she has impacted, from the countless patients and families she served to the many healthcare workers whom she worked alongside and educated. The Academy of Neonatal Nursing is honored to present Cheryl Major with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Please enjoy this video presentation.

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