Nursing Honor

Patricia Palmer Stephens, recently retired associate dean of CNM, was one of four “Legends of Nursing” honored by the New Mexico Center for Nursing for outstanding, enduring careers in improving nursing and patient care. These nurses were recognized at the 2008 Nursing Excellence Awards presented by the University of New Mexico Hospitals.

Stephens, BSN, RN, MA, MSN, was honored as a talented educator committed to creating highly skilled and qualified nurses in New Mexico. “This nominee has made significant and outstanding contributions to building the profession of nursing as a teacher, director and associate dean,” explained Janice E. Micali in nominating her.

 In 2008, Stephens retired as Associate Dean at Central New Mexico Community College after more than 32 years in nursing service and education at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, Presbyterian Hospital and CNM nursing education programs. She served as a teacher, director and associate dean while pursuing her stated passion of preparing “safe and well-qualified nurses with strong clinical skills that meet the New Mexico health care workforce needs.” 

In 1987, Stephens was hired as director of nursing for the associate degree in nursing and practical nursing programs at CNM. Through implementing a new curriculum and recruiting instructors with strong clinical skills, she grew the ADN program from eight full-time and three part-time faculty in 1987 to 16 full-time and 37 part-time ADN faculty. She helped more than 2,000 students graduate with their associate degrees. Stephens served as co-director of the Robert Wood Johnson Colleagues in Caring Project for Nursing Workforce Development in New Mexico from 1995-1998, chairing the Standards Committee, and as a founding member of the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence. She was also a site visitor of nursing programs for the New Mexico Board of Nursing, and was a Program Evaluator and Evaluation Review Panel member for the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.