Top Nurses 2024

urs is a proud medical town, and for the last decade, Baltimore has been privileged to acknowledge the backbone of this great medical community—its nurses. In this, our tenth year, we received more than 400 nominations from supervisors and colleagues. The nominations were compiled, divided by specialty, and given to our panel of eight eminently qualified nurse advisors, who spent weeks poring over entrants and résumés. The final results are now in and we’ve carefully selected 172 professionals to recognize—but all nurses are winners in our book.

One of the reasons it is so important that we continue to show our support for this field is that we are still in the throes of a nationwide nursing shortage. Aging baby boomers are creating high demand for care and nursing school enrollment, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, is struggling to meet that need. (It’s worth noting that this year we’ve recognized a number of faculty who are educating tomorrow’s nurses.) And even as the pipeline of new nurses drips rather than gushes, many others are retiring. But not all.

In this year’s feature story, we talk to four nurses who have been in the field for decades. These are professionals who have lived through seismic change in the health-care field and in some cases endured their own personal traumas, all while continuing to bring a level of dedication and care to their work that many might find unprecedented. They share their stories, from the funny to the heartbreaking to the heartwarming, and tell us the secret to what’s kept them in nursing for so long.

Our Advisers

We are grateful to our eight registered-nurse advisers, who give their time and expertise to the selection process. The role of the advisers is to review the hundreds of nominations we receive in order to identify the winners. Without their expertise, this list would not exist.

AMY ALSANTE, DNP, RN, NE-BC, LSSGB, CHEP, is the chief nursing officer of Sunburst Workforce Advisors. She has a doctorate of Nursing Practice from The George Washington University, a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, and was a recipient of Baltimore’s Excellence in Nursing Award in 2016.

LINDA K. COOK, PhD, is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she teaches across all levels of nursing education. She has been a registered nurse for 48 years and is passionate about nursing. Her primary clinical background is critical-care nursing.

DONNA DISNEY is the clinical director for nursing at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. She has more than 30 years of nursing experience, primarily in critical-care and emergency nursing. She is currently responsible for addressing the nursing strategic priorities and operations in several departments.

YAFFA ELEFANT RN, MSN, CPN, is the nurse manager of a pediatric inpatient unit at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, a certified pediatric nurse, and was the 2021 and 2022 recipient of Baltimore’s Excellence in Nursing award.

CARLENE MELLO is the nurse manager of a med-surg telemetry unit at GBMC. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the University of Phoenix and was a 2016 recipient of Baltimore’s Excellence in Nursing award.

DORHONJA NICHOLS, DNP, RN, NEA-BC is the director of nursing for critical care and behavioral health services at the University of Maryland St. Joseph’s Medical Center. She is also a 2023 American Hospital Association Next Generation Leaders Fellow and University

SARAH PORTER is a director of nursing programs at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she is responsible for assisting the vice president of nursing with coordination of executive priorities and implementation of operational and strategic objectives

KAYLENE ROSS works part-time in peri-op education at MedStar Harbor Hospital ensuring high-quality, safe patient care to surgical patients. Her more than 45 years of nursing experience include openheart surgery, pediatrics, labor and delivery, education, general and orthopedic surgery, ICU, and nursing leadership.

“We have the privilege of serving patients and families at their most difficult times. We provide specialized care with advanced treatment modalities and technologies. We also ensure quality of life depending on [patient] wishes and prepare and support them and their family during end of life.”

“I became a nurse because of the power of my compassion and empathy. The desire to pursue a career in nursing is not just about a job; it’s about making a meaningful impact on people’s lives. It allows me to be a part of something greater than myself.”