Dawn Zakzesky, DNP, RN, CNS-BC, CEN, of Wisconsin

Clinical Nurse Specialist Award

Recognizes excellence as a clinical nurse specialist in the emergency care setting. The CNS is recognized by the emergency department staff as an expert, in practice or education, who makes significant contributions to practice or to the professional development of others. Dawn Zakzesky, an emergency department clinical nurse specialist with Froedert Health in Wisconsin, led the creation of a pediatric readiness program, working with multidisciplinary teams to develop standardized workflows, training programs and simulation exercises. These efforts directly enhanced the care provided by the department to pediatric patients which resulted in a 25 percent increase in the hospital’s pediatric readiness score during its most recent survey. Zakzesky also was the co-lead for universal HIV screening in the ED which led to the identification of 46 undiagnosed patients since its inception in 2022. She was instrumental in the formation of the FMF and FWB multidisciplinary peer review committee and SOS Peer Support Program. Zakzesky is currently leading an ED Pediatric Readiness team to improve pediatric readiness in five hospitals. This work involves policy development, in-situ simulations and efforts to develop patient outcomes specific to pediatric patients.