The Aroostook Medical Center nurse honored for professionalism by state group

     PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Maine Emergency Nurses Association (MENA) recently presented Victoria Hillman, RN, CEN, with the annual Karen O’Neil Professional Award. Hillman has dedicated her career to saving, educating and inspiring others in the emergency department at TAMC.
MENA presented with the prestigious award at its September meeting in Auburn.
“Victoria is a great nurse, a natural leader, and deserving of the award. She represents TAMC very well and has been a tireless champion for ED patient and nursing issues,” said Daryl Boucher, EdD, RN, NREMTP, and director of emergency and critical care services at TAMC.
Karen O’Neil was an emergency nurse in Massachusetts who “died well before her time.” According to the MENA website, the Karen O’Neil Award recognizes a nurse “who best exemplifies what Karen stood for …”
Hillman, who resides in Beechwood, N.B., said she was honored to receive the award.
“The criteria for this award is everything that is important to me in this profession — strength and gentleness, excellence, motivation, endurance in the face of adversity, and the education and advancement of emergency nursing.”
Boucher, on behalf of Hillman’s peers in the emergency department, recognized her strength and dedication when he nominated her for the award earlier this year.
“Several staff recommended her as the most engaged in national and state emergency nursing issues,” said Boucher.
In the nomination letter, Boucher wrote, “Victoria has been a steadfast and persistent supporter of increasing the standard of professionalism of ED nurses in rural northern Maine. She believes that despite being rural and small, ED nurses have the opportunity to be leaders within organizations and the community.”
Hillman works in TAMC’s Emergency Department as a clinical educator and supervisor. MENA decided they would present her with the state award, not only for her work in the emergency department, but also for her ability as a role model to inspire those around her. Boucher said many of her co-workers are following Hillman’s example by working to become CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse) certified and engaging in other forms of professional development such as review classes and self-studies.
“She is inspiring to them, and is a great teacher,” said Boucher.
In his nomination letter, Boucher expanded on her role as an inspiration saying, “New ED nurses seek her guidance because she is caring and supportive. Experienced ED nurses seek her guidance to expand their knowledge and continue their professional growth. Hospital and ambulance leaders seek her out because she is insightful and comprehensive in her analysis of problems. Other hospitals throughout the state seek her out because of her knowledge of systems and processes.”
In addition to her many accomplishments as an educator and role model at TAMC, Hillman also has worked with “Survivor Aroostook,” a week-long summer camp that teaches eighth-graders about the role of an emergency department nurse. She is also a leader in SAFE/Forensic nursing in the area. She has led various county initiatives for forensic nurses.
“She is a leader of new processes, policies and procedures, and promotes a culture of change. She helped develop a new charge nurse role, has implemented ultrasound guided IVs for our staff, has re-invented the triage process, and has revised the ED nurse competencies to mirror industry standards,” said Boucher in his nomination letter.
“Victoria demonstrates professionalism and commitment to emergency nursing practice on a daily basis. Though she now holds a leadership position, she is the first to pitch in and help with clinical when needed, collaborates and promotes physician development, and is a visionary for emergency care,” he said. “She uses research and evidence to guide her decisions. Recently, she developed an action plan to move TAMC toward Stroke Center and Heart Failure Joint Commission Accreditation. She understands contemporary ED processes, and is not afraid to challenge the status quo.”
Hillman lives her husband of 20 years, Frank, and their two children, 16-year-old, Sydney, and 8-year-old, Nigel. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from the University of New Brunswick in 1992 and started on TAMC’s surgical floor in 1993. The remainder of her career at TAMC has been working in the emergency department.
She became CEN certified in 2010 and became a SAFE-ME-A (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) in 2011. In her 21 years as a nurse, she has also worked in an ICU department for two years, one of those years as a manager, and then as an emergency department nurse at other facilities for three years. She was an adjunct professor at Northern Maine Community College for two semesters, and she continues to work on a casual basis in a New Brunswick emergency department closer to her home.
Hillman enjoys any outdoor activity, especially in the spring, summer and fall. She enjoys spending time with her kids and is a self-proclaimed, “mom/taxi/spectator/cheerleader.” She enjoys a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, volleyball and ju jitsu.
Hillman says she looks forward “to another amazing 20 years of emergency nursing.”