Nursing professionals throughout the state joined together for the 10th annual Excellence in Nursing event, held at the White Clay Creek Country Club. Four winners and ten honorable mentions were selected from the University of Delaware’s School of Nursing faculty and staff in a variety of categories within the field of nursing.

The event was hosted by Delaware Today and 302Health to honor and celebrate the nursing community for its hard work and dedication. Winners and honorable mentions were selected through a survey conducted by The Delaware Nurses Association, asking nurses across the state who they considered to be best in various aspects of nursing practice.

This year, the event was held in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Participants were provided dinner, entertainment, and the opportunity to celebrate with their distinguished peers.

Xiaopeng Ji, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, received the Top Nurses award for the category of Academic Educator. Ji’s research focuses on sleep health in community-based populations highlighting how sleep duration, midday napping, and circadian misalignment impact health outcomes such as neurobehavioral function, pain perception, and cardiovascular risk factors.

“I integrate my clinical and research expertise with inquiry-based teaching approaches,” Ji said in reflection. “This prepares students’ evidence-based practice and population health competencies as well as role transition after graduation. I am very honored and grateful to receive this award for doing what I love.”

Jennifer Korkosz, associate professor in the School of Nursing, received the Top Nurses award for Volunteerism and Service. She is a Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner and an Air Force Veteran with a background of in and outpatient care, flight nursing and nursing leadership. Korkosz reflected on how she is “most gratified by her role in teaching.”

“Whether it is teaching students or patients, I love to help them understand,” Korkosz said. “We have a unique opportunity for students to experience different roles and settings while they are learning. It can help them stay motivated to figure out what they want to do when they graduate.”

Kathleen Brewer-Smyth, associate professor in the School of Nursing, was recipient of the Top Nurses award for Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. She also was awarded honorable mention in the categories of Academic Educator, Advancing and Leading the Profession, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

Brewer-Smyth has dedicated her research to studying adverse childhood experiences, lifetime abuse, salivary cortisol regulation, and neurological dysfunction primarily in connection to traumatic brain injuries through high-risk behaviors and health outcomes later in life. She is published on how these factors impact mental and general health aspects such as adult obesity, sleep, alcohol misuse, homicide, and other violent behaviors in at-risk populations.

“As a neurorehabilitation nurse, I always say never give up on someone with a brain problem,” Brewer-Smyth said. “There is so much that we can do for prevention, resilience, and healing to promote optimal brain function. My new book describes how to do this, especially for those at risk after physical and emotional trauma.”