Stay Work Play has named Granite VNA home care nurse Michael Newell, RN, “Young Person of the Year” in its 14^th Annual Rising Stars Awards. Established in 2009, the awards celebrate and recognize New Hampshire’s remarkable young people and businesses that go the extra mile to recruit and retain them. He will be honored at the Rising Stars Awards ceremony on Friday, September 29, at the 3S Artspace in Portsmouth.

Newell, who joined Granite VNA in January 2020, participated in the agency’s Home Health Nurse Residency Program where he learned the nuances of home care nursing while working alongside seasoned nurse mentors and participating in workshops and other learning opportunities. After his first year of home care nursing, Newell became a residency program mentor and now guides, teaches and supports new nurses.

Being a first-time home care nurse can be overwhelming, especially for those who are just beginning their nursing careers. It is critical for home care nurses to be versatile, confident and knowledgeable in a variety of health challenges and home settings. Granite VNA’s unique, year-long Home Health Nurse Residency Program prepares nurses to meet these challenges and to provide excellent clinical care and support to patients in a wide array of home settings.

“After Michael completed our Home Health Nurse Residency Program, I knew from my initial meeting with him that he was not only a bright nurse, but mature beyond his years and that he would be a strong leader,” said Granite VNA Home Care Director, Cynthia Bergeron, RN. “To be a teacher at his age, as well as a highly skilled nurse, is a strong testament to his abilities. The future is full of wonderful possibilities for Michael.”

In addition to his role as mentor, Newell provides in-home care to a diverse population of patients. He cares for individuals who have difficulty interpreting health information, face limited access to care, experience food and housing insecurity and transportation challenges, which can lead to isolation.

“Michael is committed to providing compassionate care and support to every patient,” said Bergeron. “His calm approach sets people at ease, he treats patients and family members as partners [in their care], and he works hard to deliver the best possible outcomes for them. He is not only an excellent home care nurse, but a model for future nurses who will care for our communities.”

Newell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of New Hampshire (UNH). He was a member of the UNH Honors Program and was named a Hamel Scholar, one of UNH’s most prestigious scholarship awards that recognizes exceptional students from New Hampshire who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and community service.

Newell, of Concord, has future plans to become a nurse educator.