PINEHURST, N.C. – FirstHealth of the Carolinas emergency nurse Marie Williams Dawkins, DNP, MHA, R.N., CEN, CNEcl, has been recognized as one of the “20 Under 40” nurses nationally by the Emergency Nurses Association.
Selected by a panel of national reviewers, the award recognizes the 20 best and brightest upcoming emergency nurses across the country.
Dawkins has dedicated her career to emergency nursing and currently serves as a professional staff nurse in the emergency department (ED) at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst. She was recognized by the ENA for her work establishing several programs at FirstHealth, most notably a highly successful new graduate nurse residency program for ED nurses and a Trauma Nursing Core Course program.
In addition to her role at FirstHealth, Dawkins is also an Emergency Nurses Association faculty member and an assistant clinical professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
“I’m thrilled to receive this honor from the ENA, and I’m thankful to have found my true calling working in emergency departments,” Dawkins said. “It’s very humbling. I feel like I’ve just gone to work and done my job. I mean, I love emergency nursing.”
FirstHealth Chief Nursing Officer Jacklynn Lesniak, DNP, M.S., R.N., NEA-BC, said Dawkins is committed to caring for patients and helping advance nursing at FirstHealth.
“Marie is a great example of why the future of emergency nursing is in good hands. She exemplifies our core purpose – To Care for People – and she consistently applies her knowledge and skill to help provide exceptional care,” Lesniak said.
When she’s not working, Dawkins loves to spend time with her husband and her two dogs, who she collectively calls her “heart and soul.”
