Godfrey Honored for Care of Moms, Babies

Whether serving as health care providers, educators, researchers, chapter volunteers and/or advisors, nurses play a critical role in advancing the mission of the March of Dimes: leading the fight for the health of all moms and babies. 

The March of Dimes Heroes in Action Awards support this mission, while also paying tribute to exceptional nurses throughout the community.

One of those exceptional nurses is Carolyn Godfrey, PhD, professor of nursing at St. Louis Community College. She received the Heroes in Action Award for Excellence in Maternal Child Health at a special event in St. Louis on Nov. 11.

“I experienced a feeling of gratefulness, surprise, and a sense of accomplishment for all I’ve endeavored to achieve while educating others about maternal child health,” Godfrey said upon receiving the award. “I am dedicated to teaching the next generation of nurses the importance of educating their patients, family members, and friends on various maternal child health concerns, especially preventing preterm births and reducing health disparities that are prevalent in the United States. I am thankful for this prestigious award.”

Throughout the entire semester, Godfrey’s active learning classroom engages students through models that include cervical exams, fetal scalp electrodes, amnihooks, and an intrauterine catheter that helps students learn about inducing labor.

“My goal is that students will understand how to safely care for the maternal-child dyad,” she said. “Of course, if they enter the perinatal specialty, that would be a bonus.”

Jordan Cooper, division dean of nursing, noted in Godfrey’s most recent performance evaluation: “Carolyn shows her ability to make topics relatable as well as her notable passion for teaching. She provided an environment that supports multiple learning modalities and provides context and real-world application to the topics. It was a pleasure to sit in on your class today. It was wonderful to see, firsthand, your dedication to our students.”

Godfrey joined St. Louis Community College in 2004. Prior to becoming an educator at STLCC, Godfrey was a registered nurse for four-plus years at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and 19 months at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

She holds a doctorate in nursing education from Capella University. Her master’s in nursing education is from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and her bachelor’s in nursing is from the University of Central Missouri.

In 2019, Godfrey’s work in the classroom was recognized as she received an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, the Governor's Teaching Excellence Award from the Missouri Community College Association, and was named St. Louis Community College at Forest Park’s Teacher of the Year.