For the second year in a row, the nurses at Carney Hospital ended National Nurses Week by giving back to the community. After a week of recognition and appreciation for their service, the nursing staff donated $2,500 of their own money to the Barbara Bertoni Scholarship Fund.

The fund is named in memory of Barbara Bertoni, who spent almost 35 years as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at Carney Hospital. She was a mentor and resource to nurses and nursing students across the hospital. The Fund is managed by the Quincy Elks Lodge, where the Bertonis were members, and the scholarship will be awarded to high school seniors pursuing a career in nursing.

The idea for the donation originated organically from the nurses and was funded entirely from personal contributions. They collected donations throughout the weeks preceding Nurses Week and presented the family with the check at the final banquet.

“I am continually amazed at the seemingly never-ending generosity of nurses. During a week designed to recognize their efforts, they donate their own hard-earned money to honor others.” said Carney Hospital CNO/COO Karen Ahearn.

This generosity is precisely what was celebrated throughout National Nurses Week, as Carney Hospital honored its over 300 nurses with activities and giveaways. It is an annual week of recognition and appreciation for all of the hard work nurses do in service to the community and to their patients.
Last year the Carney Hospital nurses donated $1,500 to Kit Clark Senior Services in Dorchester.