UAPRN Augusta Awards

CSRA NURSE PRACTITIONER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES AWARDS

United Advanced Practice Nurses (UAPRN) –Augusta – Press Release

Dr. Pam Cromer, President of UAPRN Augusta is pleased to recognize two award recipients for their dedication and support of the local chapter and their contributions to the nurse practitioner profession.   Nominations from nurse practitioners of the CSRA are received annually in October/November and awards are reviewed and tabulated by the Scholarship Committee.  The 2020-2021 award recipients are: 

Student Nurse Practitioner Membership Award: 

Shayla Henderson, RN, DNP Student (DNP/Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Track)

Shayla is a graduate student in the DNP Program at Augusta University.  She holds a BSN from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC (2003) and is a Major (RET) from the US Army Nurse Corp with extensive military education and training.  She completed her Basic Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) at North Carolina A&T State University, and additional strategic course/training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas (2003 – 2009) to include the AMEDD Captains Career Course, Combat Casualty Care and Officer Basic Leadership programs.   Before coming to Augusta, she held positions in the Army Nurse Corp service branch of the US Army to include staff nurse (Korea), Head Nurse and Nurse Case Manager (Fort Campbell, Kentucky), Nurse Case Manager and Nursing Supervisor (Bethesda, Maryland), and Behavioral Health Case Manager (Fort Hood, Texas).  Shayla was deployed and served our country as a clinical ward staff nurse in Iraq (2004-2005), providing nursing care in an intensive care unit for detainees, US coalition forces, and civilians.  In addition, she participated in a voluntary Humanitarian Mission in Pakistan (2005 – 2006), providing hurricane relief and nursing care in the intensive care unit for Pakistani local nationals while serving as a flight nurse to transport critically ill ventilated patients to higher levels of care.  She maintains a nursing license to practice in North Carolina and Georgia. 

2020 CSRA Nurse Practitioner Clinical Excellence Award: 

JERRY DWAYNE HOOKS JR., PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, AAHIVS, FACHE, FAANP

Augusta University College of Nursing

Executive Associate Dean and Associate Professor

Presenting award: Dr. Elena Prendergast (right), UAPRN-Augusta, Vice President

Recognized as a staunch nursing advocate, educator and healthcare provider, Dr. Hooks has worked tirelessly to advance the education and professional practice of nurses and nurse practitioners over the past 30 years. He has held a number of executive/administrative and corporate leadership positions that reflect a broad base of understanding the healthcare industry, its operations, workforce and consumer needs.  His work experiences literally spans from being a neonatal RN, a practicing APRN clinician in pulmonary medicine, HIV and Tobacco Clinics, hospital and long-term care administration to academic leadership.  His impact along the way is reflected at the local, state, national and international levels through committee work, membership, and BOD services as indicated in his CV.  He is quick to address the most current healthcare issues and pull teams together to initiate or improve the care and quality of healthcare.  Most notable is the start-up of the AU College of Nursing Nurse Managed Clinic and the expansion of the Augusta University Nursing Association Enterprise which includes contractual services for faculty and APRNs while merging care paradigms for community care and psych/mental health, and transitional care management systems.  In addition, he initiated the highly successful partnership with the AU Health System to coordinate and deliver COVID testing telehealth services upon the immediate outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, setting up a system-wide call center staffed by APRNs, and saving the lives of many GA residents.  Dwayne is also the liaison for the 11-year partnership agreement between the College of Nursing and East Central Regional Hospital.  Dr. Hooks has responsibility for the clinical and operational oversight of the Department of Nursing and has served in the interim Chief Nursing Officer role.    

Dr. Hook’s skill, competency, frequent engagement with community outreach activities, and his advocacy for the APRN profession has endeared him to the CON and the APRN community where he frequently shares his knowledge and expertise at invited professional and civic organizations.  He has worked to expand the voice of APRNs by serving as a speaker/panelist at AANP and NONPF Conferences, as well as the GA capital, State UAPRN and Coalition of APRNs (CAPRN) meetings.  Finally, as a Fellow of the AANP, he is actively engaged with mentoring NPs for outstanding contributions to the profession.