Rozina Virani: Winner of the Julie Adkins Nurse of the Year Award

 In 2022, the Nurse of the Year award was renamed to honor Julie Adkins, who sadly passed on February 5, 2022. Julie spent 50 years working as a nurse. Since 2001, she has worked as a family nurse practitioner and owned a primary care clinic in Frankfort, Illinois. 

Awarded to licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, the Nurse of the Year award represents the legacy of Julie Adkins. 

What it Takes to Be Nurse of the Year

There are a number of requirements to be considered for the Julie Adkins Nurse of the Year award. Rozina Virani represents the legacy of Julie Adkins through her exemplification of these ideals:

Award Criteria:

• Represents APRNs as a role model for ISAPN
• Actively participates in the ISAPN board or serves on one or more committees
• Presents new ideas and follows through on them to advance ISAPN
• Has taken a leadership role in ISAPN
• Is a current member in good standing of ISAPN

Rozina Virani: 2024 Nurse of the Year

Rozina is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner at AMITA Health, Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center and Thorek Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She specializes in chronic and acute disease management, with a particular focus on diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.  

Rozina exemplifies the qualities of the Julie Adkins Nurse of the Year Award. She serves on the ISAPN Membership Committee as a Board Member and is also currently the Chair of the North/Northeast Region of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN). 

Dedicated service to ISAPN is not a new thing for Rozina. From 2023-2024, she served as Vice-Chair of the North/Northeast Region, where she actively engaged with members to promote the mission of ISAPN. 

Being a part of the governing body of ISAPN isn’t the only way Rozina is advancing the organization. She has been a part of meet-and-greet events for new APRNs, promoted initiatives to enhance APRN visibility in their communities, led educational sessions, and shared research findings at conferences to raise awareness of critical health issues. 

As a role model, Rozina strives to embody values like compassion, integrity, and professionalism. 

“I believe in the importance of continuous learning and mentorship, actively encouraging collaboration and support among my peers. My dedication to evidence-based practice and patient-centered care serves as a guiding principle in my work and interactions with others.”

What Winning This Award Means

For Rozina, winning the Julie Adkinds Member of the Year award is a tremendous honor. “It reinforces my commitment to advancing APRN practice and inspires me to strive for excellence while advocating for the nursing profession and encouraging others to pursue leadership roles.”

Being recognized for the work she has done not only means a lot to Rozina but has also inspired her to keep advocating for fellow APRNs. 

“Winning this award represents not just personal achievement, but also a collective recognition of the dedication and impact of all APRNs. It inspires me to continue advocating for our profession and to empower others to strive for excellence in their practice.”

Rozina was nominated for the Julie Adkins Nurse of the Year Award by the President of ISAPN, Dr. April Odom. April’s nomination statement outlines exactly what makes Rozina the 2024 Nurse of the Year:

“Rozina Virani has been an incredibly active member of ISPAN this year. She has played a key role in hosting region meetings and encouraging non-members to attend, which has resulted in new memberships. Rozina also joined the Membership Committee, where she has been actively involved, consistently sharing her ideas and concerns with professionalism while keeping ISPAN’s goals as her priority. In addition, Rozina has graciously agreed to serve on the Board, bringing numerous ideas on how to advance the organization and keep APRNs informed on legislation and issues affecting APRN practice.” 

Congratulations Rozina Virani! 

ISAPN is proud to have members like Rozina Virani. As an active member of our organization, she expertly represents the legacy of Julie Adkins, embodying her ideals and helping to advance ISAPN's cause. 

Congratulations Rozina for winning this prestigious award!

“I am honored to be nominated for the Julie Adkins Member of the Year Award. My dedication to the nursing community is evident through my active role on the ISAPN board and committees, where I advocate for APRN visibility and engagement. By organizing events for new APRNs and leading educational sessions, I aim to create a supportive environment that promotes professional growth and collaboration. This award would recognize my contributions and empower me to inspire my peers to pursue excellence and leadership, ultimately advancing ISAPN's goals and enhancing the impact of APRNs in healthcare.”

Join ISAPN and become a part of a network of nursing professionals dedicated to advancing the nursing profession. Together, we can build on the hard work and legacy of individuals like Julie Adkins and celebrate the accomplishments of leaders like Rozina Virani.