American nursing executive and educator
Elizabeth June Werner (née Travers; April 3, 1924 – May 18, 2015) was an American nursing executive and educator. She was chair of the department of nursing for 19 years at Evanston Hospital, Illinois, and retired in 1990 as chairperson emerita. During this period she launched the nation's first primary nursing model, transforming the relationship between patients and their caregivers. She also formalized mentoring and professionalized the nursing staff.
Early life.
Werner was born to John Travers and Sarah (née McGee) in Fall River, Massachusetts and grew up in the Bronx, New York as a daughter of the Great Depression. Role models during those difficult times led her to become a nurse.
Werner was admitted to Columbia University's School of Nursing and graduated in 1945. She started her career in several Vermont hospitals and as a Public Health Nurse in the late 1950's. She completed a BSN in Nursing Education and an MSN in Nursing Administration at Syracuse University School of Nursing, New York. Upon graduation she was hired as an Instructor/Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing.
Professional life.
In 1961, she moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where she worked as a nursing administration consultant at Bloomington Hospital that "has not seen changes in 30 years." During 1967/68 the family spent 15 months on the Navajo Reservation and Werner was school nurse in the Kayenta, Arizona, Public School.
In 1971, she became the only woman among the chairs of clinical departments as chair of the Department of Nursing, Evanston Hospital, Illinois. During her tenure from 1971 to 1990 she pioneered the nation's first primary nursing implementation, a model developed by Marie Manthey which transformed the relationship between patients and their caregivers. Consequently, Evanston Hospital was recognized as an early adapter and an outstanding model of full implementation of a professional practice model, including formalizing mentoring and professionalizing nursing staff.
These actions by Werner helped Evanston Hospital attract the most qualified, talented, and dedicated nursing staff, leading "… one of the first Magnet nursing departments in the country."
While professionally active, Werner impacted nursing management and nursing education both locally and nationally:
Retirement.
She retired from Evanston Hospital in 1990 and was named chairperson emerita, Evanston Hospital Corporation, Department of Nursing. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, she served as board chair of Health Action New Mexico, a healthcare issue advocacy group. She also led Compassion and Choices which focused on protecting the right to death with dignity. She and her husband Oswald Werner donated time and energy to social issues such as the repeal of the death penalty to the implementation of universal health care.
Honors and awards.
In 2015 Werner was a Health Action New Mexico, 20-for-20 Honoree, which was received posthumously. The
First National Mentoring Award by Creative HealthCare Management was granted in 1995.
The Illinois Nurses Association Board of Directors honored June Werner on her retirement as Vice President of Nursing from Evanston Hospital in 1990. 1990 also saw her receive the Jean McVicar Outstanding Nurse Executive Award, National League of Nursing "...for excellence and creativity at the national level." Zonta's Woman of the Year Award, Evanston, Illinois was also awarded to Werner in 1990.
She received the Distinguished Alumna Award by the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, School of Nursing, New York City in 1978.
References.
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