Lynne Vining, MSN, RN, nurse manager of the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at UAB Hospital, has been chosen as a statewide “Hospital Hero” by the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) for her contributions to health care.
Vining has been a nurse at UAB Hospital since 1989, and she has been nurse manager of the MICU for two years. Under her leadership, the staff has been successful in reducing infection rates below the national benchmark and in increasing patient and family satisfaction. She is described as a mentor to many, including nursing students, medical students and residents, and she is frequently called upon to lecture at local nursing schools.
In addition to her contributions at UAB, Vining served as a member of Alabama’s National Guard from 1986 to 1992 and is a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves. For the past nine months, she served as team leader at the NATO Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. She has treated soldiers dealing with the most severe of injuries, many resulting from explosive devices.
During the April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama, her home was damaged, but true to her nature, she put her own needs aside and devoted her time to treating injured neighbors.
AlaHA’s annual Hospital Hero award contest recognizes the value of health careers and honors hospital employees who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the health-care field.