Ethel Lora Mitty, RN, Ed.D, beloved wife of Harold, Mother of Emily and Roger, Mother-in-Law to Jonathan and Jennifer, Grandmother to Sarah, Daniel, Jason, Abigail, Andrew and Matthew, friend and mentor to so many nurses, died on Monday April 29th, 2013.
Ethel’s family lost a dear loved one; we lost an advocate for Assisted Living nurses, an industry leader and a dear friend.
Ethel’s enthusiasm, vibrant personality and dedication to the field are just a few of the things we’ll miss about her. More than a visionary industry leader, Ethel was a cherished mentor to so many, and she left an indelible mark on all who had the honor and privilege to meet and work with her. Ethel’s work and her contributions to the nursing and senior living fields are wide ranging and immeasurable.
Ethel began her illustrious career as an R.N. Diploma School Graduate from Mt. Sinai Hospital School of Nursing in New York City. Her education culminated with a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University. Her career included being Research Associate and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Nursing in the College of Nursing at New York University (NYU), a Consultant in Long Term Care at the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, College of Nursing, NYU, and 25 years as a Director of Nursing in Long Term Care.
Ethel wrote a “best seller” on how to “do” nursing leadership and management in nursing homes, and taught bioethics research at the College of Nursing at NYU. Her research projects included the role and opportunity for nurses in culture change initiatives, cross-cultural issues in end-of-life decision making, the use of ritual to transform everyday care into resident-centered care, and development and evaluation of a Bill of Rights for Hospitalized Older Adults. She was published extensively in peer reviewed journals and wrote several book chapters on long-term care, health care decision making, and ethical issues.
Ethel was active on the advisory boards of several state and national associations, the Research and Advisory Boards of the Foundation for Long Term Care, the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (The CEAL) and the American Assisted Living Nurses Association (AALNA).
Ethel’s dedication to assisted living nurses was exemplified in her work and contributions to AALNA. As an AALNA board member, Ethel developed the association’s definitive statement regarding scope and standards of practice for assisted living nurses, and worked with Dr. Barbara Resnick to establish the association’s Assisted Living Nurse Certification Exam. Ethel and Barbara co-authored the definitive “manual for Assisted Living Nurses. “Assisted Living Nursing: A Manual for Management and Practice” is a “how to” primer for nurses new to assisted living and those trying to improve their understanding of the resident population and management techniques.
In 2007 she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the Mt. Sinai School of Nursing, New York City.
Ethel’s extraordinary contributions to the care of older adults, education and support of nurses were far reaching and will continue to have an impact on nursing and the assisted living industry. In perpetual memory of our friend, mentor and colleague; Ethel’s contribution to nursing and her emphasis on and involvement in the recognition of Assisted Living Nursing as its own specialty, AALNA has created The Ethel Mitty Commemorative Scholarship.
The scholarship will be awarded by the AALNA Board of Directors at the annual AALNA conference. The award criteria will be as follows:
- Currently licensed as a RN or LPN/LVN
- Current AALNA Membership
- Has earned AALNA’s Assisted Living Nurse Certification
- Currently practicing in Assisted Living
The Ethel Mitty Commemorative Scholarship will consist of a plaque recognizing the attendee’s dedication to Assisted Living, their commitment to education, resident care, quality improvement and self-actualization as evidenced by their acquisition of the AALNA RN/LN C-AL certification and attendance and participation at the annual conference. In addition, the recipient’s dues will be waived for the coming year and they will have their Annual AALNA Conference fees paid for the following conference.
Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Ethel Mitty Commemorative Scholarship (EMCS) can do so by sending a check to AALNA, writing in the memo line EMCS. Donations can be made by mailing to AALNA PO box 10469 Napa, CA 94581 or using the website www.alnursing.org, then click on The Ethel Mitty Commemorative Scholarship page.