Faculty Member and Alumna Receive U of S Alumni Achievement Awards

Established in 1978, the awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of U of S alumni and attest to the excellence of the University of Saskatchewan educational experience. Congratulations to two outstanding nursing alumna Dr. Noelle Rohatinsky (BSN'02, MN'08, PHD'13) and Ms. Audrey Zettl (BSN’63), who have been selected by the Alumni Association to receive 2016 U of S Alumni Achievement Awards.

Dr. Noelle Rohatinsky was nominated for this award for her commitment to the nursing profession and her dedication to aboriginal health initiatives. She is a faculty member in the College of Nursing, where her research looks at healthcare provider transitions to new work environments and facilitating transition in individuals who have chronic illnesses. In 2015, Noelle received a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Establishment Grant focusing on registered nurse and physician mentorship in Saskatchewan’s rural communities.

Dedicated to aboriginal advancements in health, Noelle serves as the College of Nursing Aboriginal Mentorship Program Coordinator, where she assists new Aboriginal nursing graduates with their transition to practice and facilitates the mentorship program advisory committee.

Noelle is an active volunteer in her community as well. She has been the Education Director for the Saskatoon Chapter of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since 2010. In this role, she offers regular education nights to individuals newly diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This summer, Noelle and her research partners received funding to explore healthcare transition needs of adolescents living with inflammatory bowel disease. 

“I feel very privileged to be able to share my passion for nursing with others and I am honoured to receive this prestigious award,” said Rohatinsky. 

Outstanding achievement and service in aboriginal initiatives and education has earned College of Nursing alumna Ms. Audrey Zettl a 2016 alumni achievement award. Following her graduation, Audrey became an anatomy and physiology instructor and clinical instructor in Saskatoon and Regina hospitals. It was during this time, that she established the two-year nursing curriculum that later formed the basis of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic nursing curriculum.

Among her many community initiatives, Zettl co-founded Harvest Community Incorporated, a program that looks to enhance the lives of persons with intellectual disabilities. Since its inception in 1976, the program has steadily grown and continues to flourish today. Later in her career, Audrey worked in advance practice as a community health nurse in northern Saskatchewan and throughout the Territories, calling those times the thrill of her life. She travelled to different communities providing health care wherever she went. She became a Nurse Practitioner in 2004 and worked for Kelsey Trail Health Region until 2012. She calls her family, which includes 11 children, 34 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, the joy of her life and her crowning achievement.

"My education from the U of S College of Nursing has served me well in my career and my life,” said Zettl. “I am humbled by the brilliant effort of my classmates to nominate me for this award.”

The Alumni Achievement Awards are presented annually to U of S graduates who advance the reputation of the University of Saskatchewan and the Alumni Association. Award recipients are chosen for their outstanding achievements and innovation, commitment to excellence, community engagement and leadership and contributions to the social, cultural and economic well-being of society.