Dr. Elicia Collins wins 2024 Jan Van de Verde Nursing Educator Award

(February 16, 2024) - Clayton State University’s School of Nursing will add another outstanding award to its already brimming pedigree.

Assistant Dean Dr. Elicia Collins was recently selected as the winner of the 2024 Jan Van de Verde Nursing Educator Award by GANE – the Georgia Association for Nursing Education.

“I really couldn’t believe it,” Collins said. “There are so many fabulous nursing educators here in Georgia and I’ve worked with a lot of them. I was excited and in disbelief. But at the same time, when it began to sink in, I was humbled that my colleagues and former students would think that much of me to submit my name for this award.”

To even be nominated for the award, Collins had to meet several criteria, including being a nursing educator in Georgia for at least five years (academically or clinically), holding a master’s degree for her minimum level of education, and demonstrating a positive influence on the state’s nursing education over her tenure.

Additionally, Collins was nominated by two of her past students who personally reached out via email to GANE to recommend her for the award, to which she is incredibly grateful.

Dr. Victoria Foster, a recent selectee into the Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame and President of GANE, was thrilled to see her fellow Clayton State instructor be selected for the award after serving as a Georgia nursing educator for nearly two decades.

“What a fantastic accomplishment this is to receive the Jan Van de Verde Nursing Educator Award!” Foster said. “I have witnessed Dr. Collins growth as a faculty member and leader. Her passion and dedication to the students, profession and university are awe-inspiring. We are very fortunate to have her as a colleague." 

Collins will be celebrated and officially receive the award at the upcoming GANE Conference on Saturday, March 4.

While she is thankful for all who helped her earn the award, she still says the greatest honor she’s earned is the ability to be a nurse and help impact nursing’s next generation at Clayton State University.

“I’m just grateful that my colleagues thought enough of me to nominate me for this,” Collins said. “I believe in what I do. I spend a lot of time preparing my lectures and preparing for rules and policies for the program. I believe in being a nurse and I believe in what I do here for students.”