Susan Douglass, MSN, RN, CEN, of Texas

Judith C. Kelleher Award

This award, named after one of ENA’s co-founders, honors an ENA member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in emergency nursing and has made significant contributions to the profession and to ENA. The award is presented at the Anita Dorr luncheon during ENA’s annual conference.

Susan Douglass began her nursing career more than 50 years ago in a Texas emergency department and developed into a sought-after educator and Champion for pediatric and geriatric injury prevention. In addition to holding hospital- based staff nurse, patient care coordinator and leadership positions, she served as director for the Safe Kids Coalition in San Antonio from 1988 to 2014.

Douglass is a nurse who discovered she loved teaching nurses and the public. She has directed or taught TNCC to more than 6,000 nurses, including sessions in South Korea and South Africa, as well as ones she designed for military nurses preparing to deploy.

She co-developed the Falls Awareness Lengthens Lives course, which is now taught across Texas, and a program to help mothers needing substance abuse care for themselves and their babies. She has worked with regional initiatives to address underage drinking, babysitter safety training and more. She continues to teach Stop the Bleed and falls awareness in her community.

Her advocacy work included fighting for state child safety and enhanced booster seat laws as well as championing workplace violence legislation.

Douglass has chaired multiple ENA committees and held leadership roles with the Texas ENA State Council and local chapters.