Congratulations to Kim Elgin, UVA’s First Magnet Nurse of the Year

11.15.2022

Congratulations to Kim Elgin, UVA’s First Magnet Nurse of the Year

By Jenny Fernandez
Photos contributed

On Oct. 14, Kimberly Elgin, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, PCCN, CMSRN, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), became UVA Health’s first Magnet Nurse of the Year^®. This prestigious award by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recognizes the outstanding contributions of nurses in each of the five Magnet pillars: Transformational Leadership; Structural Empowerment; Exemplary Professional Practice; New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements; and Empirical Outcomes.

In her introduction, Magnet Commissioner Dr. Fatima Al-Rafai said, “Kim has worked tirelessly to remove barriers and support top-of-license practice for advanced nurse practice providers within and beyond UVA. Kim’s remarkable work clearly demonstrates how structural empowerment inspires a culture of professional collaboration.”

Watch Kim's comments as she received the award.

Kim recently shared with Connect what this award means to her and to UVA and how others can learn from her journey.

How does it feel to be the first person ever at UVA to receive Magnet Nurse of the Year?

It was incredibly humbling to hear acknowledgement of the award. At the same time, I recognized that this was an amazing opportunity to highlight the CNS role and represent UVA Health’s advanced practice providers. I wanted to get it right in my acceptance remarks, and I feel good about where we landed.

On stage, I felt so small. Here I was in front of over 11,000 attendees, being recognized nationally and internationally for the work we’re doing at UVA. I might have been the leader that had the vision and moved it forward, but I was representing the work of a lot of people, including of all our CNSs. I was proud to be able to do that. And the fact that Sally Miller, Kathy Baker, and other leaders allowed space for this work really speaks to our organizational culture of empowerment.

Dr. Elgin on stage with Magnet Commissioner Dr. Fatima Al-Rafai at the 2022 ANCC National Magnet Conference in Philadelphia on Oct. 14. “Like many of you, I come from a family of caregivers. My grandfather was a physician. My mother was a registered nurse. I always knew that I wanted to pursue nursing. What I could not imagine was the opportunities and rewards this profession would afford and the fulfilling journey it has taken me on during my 30-year career.”

Can you describe your work that led to being recognized in the category of structural empowerment?

Beginning in 2019, I identified an opportunity to better align our CNSs within our advanced practice provider framework. My work and advocacy at UVA and my mentorship of other institutions helped move us closer to the top of our education and license practice. Our CNSs can now prescribe, practice more independently, and better collaborate with physicians and other providers. It was serendipitous because at the same time, there was legislation actively moving through the state government to elevate the CNS role to an advanced practice nursing role from a state regulatory perspective.

What advice would you give to others that could help them push forward a vision?

Find a mentor that you connect with because you need a cheerleader to keep encouraging you. I had the opportunity to serve on the board of directors of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. For me, that fed me professionally, and helped me think a little bit broader in terms of how I could impact nursing and CNS practice. And now, receiving the Magnet Nurse of the Year award has already opened some windows of opportunity for additional professional networking and collaboration.

I also think it's really important to have a vision for what's possible, and then just be really relentless. Like so many things, sometimes it's three steps forward and five steps back. It’s been a journey!

From the ANCC press release:

Magnet Nurse of the Year for Structural Empowerment: Kimberly Elgin, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, PCCN, CMSRN

As leader of the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) team at UVA Health in Charlottesville, VA, Dr. Kimberly Elgin has worked to remove barriers and support top-of-license practice for advanced practice providers within and beyond UVA. She is recognized at the local, regional, and national levels for her efforts to optimize the role of CNS in health care organizations, improving outcomes for patients and families. Over the past two years, Dr. Elgin advocated for revision to Virginia state legislation which elevates CNS scope of practice in the Commonwealth. She leveraged subsequent regulatory amendments to better align UVA’s CNS practice with other advanced practice provider roles and revamp processes and structures that improve interprofessional collaboration. The UVA Health CNS team has led best-practice initiatives to reduce patient falls, pressure ulcers, and hospital-acquired infections.