Nominations open for great nurses
Jul. 6—Permian Basin Great 25 nurses is seeking nominations for its fourth class.
The nurses can be retired or active and be from the entire Basin area including Rankin, Colorado City and Monahans. They have also been nominated from Ector County ISD and Midland ISD.
Midland Health Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Kit Bredimus said the program started in 2019.
"After this year, I've given it out to 100 different nurses across the greater Permian Basin area. Most of it is predominantly Midland-Odessa. We added Mitchell County ... and had some from that facility. We've had Andrews up north," Bredimus said.
They haven't had many from Upton County.
"We try to really push it out to our rural areas as well and make sure that they're aware that this is out there; that they have a way to identify and recognize their nursing staff because we as the organization recognize that there's great nurses all across our area. We want to make sure we highlight as many as we can," Bredimus said.
There is an application at pbgreat25.com and four questions asking why you feel your nominee is deserving; what characteristics they have; notable contributions they have made.
"From there, we get all of the nominations. This year ends July 21. So on July 21, we'll take all the nominations that we have, we will blind them and then we have a team that grades them and ranks them 1 through 25," Bredimus said.
The awards are typically presented in October. This year it will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Academic Building, 800 W. Fourth St., Odessa.
The only time the awards weren't presented in person was during COVID.
"Winners receive a Permian Basin Great 25 winners pin. They get a plaque that is sponsored by Midland Health. We don't do certificates, but we do have a photographer there ... Then we try to get them together as a big group at the end for a picture and then also by facility if we have a couple from the same facility," Bredimus said.
They usually have groups from Midland Health and ECISD. They have had groups from MISD and Medical Center Hospital also.
"That's why I've been reaching out to the Odessa groups as well making sure that they're aware. Last year, we actually didn't have anyone from MCH apply or get the award, so that was pretty surprising," Bredimus said.
He added that he has reached out to all the chief nursing officers to let them know nominations are open.
Bredimus said they modeled the Permian Basin Great 25 awards off the DFW Great 100 Nurses.
"They've had a ... long-standing program where they recognize 100 throughout the greater Metroplex area," Bredimus said.
He added that he thought they had 800 to 900 nominations last year and they whittled that down to 100.
The Permian Basin Great 25 got 35 to 40 nominations this year.
There also are awards in the San Antonio and Lubbock areas, for example.
From the scope and scale of the area, Bredimus said they felt they could recognize 25 nurses a year. There are about 3,000 registered nurses in the region.
"We recognize that out here in West Texas, we have some amazing caregivers that don't receive recognition, either from their organizations, or maybe their organization doesn't have a formal recognition program like the Daisy Award like we have here and at MCH," Bredimus said.
The Permian Basin Great 25 is a way to spotlight nurses that don't necessarily work in large organizations.
It is open to any registered nurse, including advanced practice nurses. Nurses can live in Southeast New Mexico or Lubbock, working in Odessa or Midland and making an impact.
"It's not a ... Lifetime Achievement Award. It's what are you doing to make an impact in your community ... really focusing on how you bring it back to what's" happening here at home, Bredimus said.
Word of the awards has not spread completely, so Bredimus said they reach out heavily to past winners to let people know about it.
Nurses nominate nurses, but Bredimus said they would like to see nominations from the community and patients sharing their stories.
He said it doesn't have to be hugely impactful, but just everyday contributions that nurses make.
"It's when you hear the stories from your patients, or from their family members that you realize, wow I'm making a difference and that that helps fill your cup," Bredimus said.
Bredimus has been involved in Permian Basin Great 25 since the beginning and is president this year.
It was founded by Brandi McDonald, Midland Health director of critical care services, and is the past president.
"If they would go to pbgreat25.com, look at the nominations criteria. Think about a nurse that they would like to nominate, or a nurse that's made an impact in their life, we'd love to get more nominations in and try to do it by July 21," he said.
