Como Named Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year by the NACNS

June M. Como, Lecturer of Nursing at the College of Staten Island, has received the Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year award from the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS).

The award recognizes NACNS members for their outstanding professional achievements as Clinical Nurse Specialist Educators. Professor Como will be officially recognized at the NACNS annual awards luncheon on Friday, March 11 in Baltimore. 

Professor Como, who began her nursing career at CSI (she was a member of the final class of Staten Island Community College) said that she was “extremely excited and very humbled,” when she was nominated by Dr. Margaret Lunney of CSI’s Nursing Department. 

“Teaching is an important component of my life,” commented Como. “Being able to guide my graduate students toward their practice as CNSs in Advanced-Practice Nursing, assisting them in providing the highest level of evidenced-based patient-focused care, and implementing system-level changes in their respective health care settings is wonderfully fulfilling.”

Professor Como’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive, but perhaps none is more impressive than her work during 9/11 setting up a nurses’ health care and first aid center at the Staten Island Homeport. She spent nearly three months organizing health care coverage for personnel at Ground Zero. 

Professor Como is also the co-director of the CSI High-Fidelity Simulation Center where her students use mannequins to simulate real clinical circumstances. The mannequins have heart rates, blood pressure, and working lungs. “It is important that students experience a level of patient care in a safe environment where mistakes are not as costly,” she said. 

“Como’s dedication to the Staten Island community and to the development of CNS students through technology and leadership training is what helps set her apart from other members of her field. Como is a true leader in her field and the members of the CSI community are proud to call her their own,” CSI Provost and SeniorVice President for Academic Affairs Dr. William Fritz commented.

Como began her teaching career as a Critical Care Instructor at Methodist Hospital and has been teaching at CSI since 1992. She is the recipient of a number of awards and grants, earning tens of thousands of dollars as the Principal Investigator (PI) for several projects that use different aspects of technology to assist students in acquiring the critical thinking traits and skills in the nursing diagnosis, care, and evaluation of patients, families, and communities. She has published several articles in health care journals such as the International Journal of Human Caring and Holistic Nursing Practice. Her doctoral focus is on health literacy, medication adherence, and health outcomes in patients with heart failure. 

The NACNS was founded in 1995 to enhance and promote the valuable contributions of clinical nurse specialists to the health care industry. Members are highly influential in the nursing industry. They aid in the development of CNS education standards and support state-specific legislative initiatives. 

The Nursing program at CSI is one of the College’s longest-running programs, dating back to the 1960s when CSI was known as Staten Island Community College. Today, the Department has grown into one of CSI’s flagship programs, offering Master’s and Nurse Specialist degrees. CSI nursing graduates are employed in a variety of institutions throughout the city.