In less than a month, Lynette DeBellis, instructor of Nursing, earned three prestigious awards for her dedication to the community and her students.
First, she was named a Top 20 Nurse in the region at the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Awards, hosted by Hudson Valley Magazine. The award honors the professional achievements of recipients, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Less than a week later, DeBellis earned the annual DAISY Foundation Nurse Faculty Award.
Then, at the Nursing Commencement Ceremony in May, she was presented with the Student Government Association (SGA) Excellence in Teaching Award for 2021, which honors a professor who the students believe goes above and beyond.
DeBellis, a 1985 graduate of the Mount, has been a registered nurse for 35 years. At the Mount, she has brought her passion for service and excellence to the next generation of nurses.
Recently, DeBellis and her dedicated students made history in the fight against COVID-19. Under her guidance, about 50 students administered some of the first-ever COVID-19 vaccines to the doctors, nurses, and other essential staff at four area hospitals: Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Northern Dutchess Hospital, Putnam Hospital, and Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall.
With only about 48 hours' notice, DeBellis took on the responsibility of overseeing dozens of students. But she knew she had to be part of this humanitarian effort. Not only did it have a major impact on the community, but also on her students: The work strengthened their nursing skills at a time when clinical placements in hospitals had become very limited.