Carol Ott, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Kearney Division, recently received the Nebraska Nurses Association Outstanding Nurse Educator Award. The award recognizes innovation and expertise in the nurse educator role.
“It is a great honor to be nominated by nursing colleagues in District I of NNA. They all work as hard or harder than I do,” Dr. Ott said.
Though Dr. Ott’s nursing career spans more than 30 years in helping others attain their dream of becoming a registered nurse, she never tires of it.
“I still can’t wait to get up in the morning to find an answer to something or to see a student get really excited about something they have learned or to see students give nursing care that I would be proud to have a family member receive,” Dr. Ott said. “I love being a nursing faculty member. It is the best of several worlds – one never loses sight of the people to whom we offer competent nursing care and I have the opportunity to influence both undergraduate and graduate nursing students to keep striving to learn more.”
Those who nominated Dr. Ott for the award say she personifies the traits of innovation and expertise as an educator who “has lived the philosophy of lifelong learning in all of her academic pursuits,” according to a nominator.
“Dr. Ott is the ideal educator, mentor and professional who has dedicated her life to improving the profession and the well being of those in her care, both students and patients,” nominators wrote. “Carol Ott knows first hand what can be achieved in the nursing profession and believes that each student can be successful. She has the special ability to spark the minds and souls of her students. Furthermore, she willingly shares her special gift of knowledge and compassion,” wrote one nominator and former student of Dr. Ott.
Though primarily serving as a nurse educator, Dr. Ott has been involved as a staff nurse, cardiac rehabilitation, and a leader of several cancer support groups, as well as serving as a volunteer to improve health care and living conditions of area residents.
“It is a great challenge to balance the three required roles of teaching, research and community service and to stay connected with the other three University nursing campuses in the state,” she said.
Dr. Ott, whose specialty area is oncology and chronic illnesses, also conducts research, most notably with cancer support groups, cardiac rehabilitation, and collaboratively as a co-investigator of a $2.9 million, five-year federal grant to evaluate a new approach to prevent osteoporosis in breast cancer survivors after menopause.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1972 from Midland College, Fremont, Neb., a master’s degree in 1979 from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Oklahoma City, and her doctoral degree in 1996 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.