Ashley honored as a top nurse Local nursing administrator Sharon Ashley, RN, MSN, recently received a 2010 Award for Leadership in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing's Beta lota Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International. The awards ceremony was held at the office of the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.
"I have known Sharon since she began her Nursing Career back in 1989," Saundra Stevens, CEO of Adams County Regional Medical Center said Friday. "As a nurse she has always believed in quality in the delivery of patient care. During her career here at ACRMC, she has moved up through the organization to become the chief nursing officer. She is a dedicated leader who works long hours to complete her job. Her passion for quality, patient safety and compassionate care are demonstrated daily in the leadership role that she performs at Adams County Regional Medical Center."
"I chose nursing because the traditional options for women were nursing or teaching when I graduated from high school," Ashley said. "I received a nursing scholarship from our hospital auxiliary with all tuition and living expenses paid by the scholarship, with a required commitment to return to Adams County Hospital and work. This was perfect for me, as my parents were farmers and there was no money for college. I had to figure how to get through college on my own. Therefore, I will always be thankful for the hospital auxiliary and the support they provide to students seeking financial help for college."
Ashley has dedicated her professional life of 35 years to health care in Adams County in general, and specifically to Adams County Regional Medical Center and the former Adams County Hospital. She began her service in the health field as a youth volunteer/candy striper at ACH. She later received the ACH Auxiliary scholarship, which supported her initial nursing education at the Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing in Cincinnati.
After receiving her diploma and becoming a licensed registered nurse, Ashley returned to ACH as a staff nurse in medical-surgical nursing. She later went back to school and earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Ohio University, then her master of science degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati, where she was first inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, an international society of nursing.
Each year, the Beta lota Chapter honors selected members who have made significant contributions to the advancement of nursing as a profession. One of the criteria for a recipient of the Sigma Theta Tail-Beta lota Award for Leadership in Nursing is "advances the scope and image of nursing within the community," which Ashley exemplified. In addition, as the current chief nursing officer and performance improvement and quality director at ACRMC, Ashley has been a role model in leadership for other nurses.
"Sharon has been an inspiration to me in many ways. She is dedicated, hardworking, compassionate, intelligent and a team player," said Marcy Copas, who has worked under Ashley for seven years. "I was originally hired as the cardiac rehab nurse, and have since become the manager of the Outpatient Clinic, Stress Testing, Cardiac Rehab and Occupational/Employee Health Program under Sharon's watchful care.
"She encouraged me through her own selfless leadership approach to strive to be the best nurse, teacher, manager, and even sometimes, cheerleader to my staff," Copas continued. "Sharon has taught me that life is not always fair, but it is how you approach this unfairness that counts. It is an honor to work under Sharon, and I strive daily to become the caring and loyal leader she is today."
"As a registered nurse coming aboard the ACRMC family (formerly ACH) in 2000, I was introduced to Sharon Ashley as the Quality Director," said Rachel Cummings. "She gave her presentation on Quality and how each of us was accountable for ensuring the highest level of care for our patients. That presentation made an impact upon me very early in my managerial position and encouraged me to become more and more involved in the pursuit of knowledge related to quality care.
"As the years passed, and I began to learn more about quality and standards, Sharon noted the interest I had shown to work more closely with her," Cummings continued. "She encouraged me to 'think outside of the box' and further my education.
"I see how committed Sharon is to our facility and the outcomes for our patients everyday," Cummings said. "She has taken me under her wing and is mentoring me in the world of quality. She has pushed me to grow and take on new responsibilities, much to my benefit. Sharon is a very hard working dedicated nursing leader at our facility, and I am privileged to work with her."
Ashley began the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at ACH and was that program's first manager. She assumed the position of performance improvement and quality director with the ACH Executive Management Team and has continued in this position with the ACRMC Core Management Team, even after her appointment as ACRMC's chief nursing officer.
Ashley has also contributed many volunteer hours throughout the years in Adams County and was on the county's American Heart Association Board for several years. She is also a valuable member of the Adams-Brown Creating Healthy Communities Coalition, the Adams County Health and Wellness Coalition, the ACRMC Diabetes Coalition and serves on the Southern State Community College Nursing Advisory Committee.
Amazingly, as busy as she is with her professional activities, Sharon has a family life with her husband, Dr. Bruce Ashley; children jade, Noah, Shanda, and Jason; and three grandchildren. She and Dr. Ashley are also animal lovers and have horses, dogs and cats as part of their family.
