In Loving Memory of Evelyn Parrish, PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, FAANP
April 26, 1963- September 28, 2022
Our dear colleague, Evelyn Parrish, died on September 28, 2022, following a battle with cancer. Evelyn served as the President of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses from 2013 to 2014. We knew her as a warm, caring, and giving individual with a quick and mischievous smile. She was able to get to the heart of an issue quickly and calmly and softly state the obvious, all with an endearing Southern drawl. She will truly be missed.
Dr. Evelyn Parrish received her BSN from Eastern Kentucky University and her MSN and PhD from the University of Kentucky. She earned a post-masters certificate as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Family from Rush University. She has been a nurse for more than 25 years, and a psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner for the past 19 years. Dr. Parrish began her teaching career at Eastern Kentucky University in 2006 and joined the faculty at the UK College of Nursing in 2016 as an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Accreditation and Strategic Outcomes. She served as the Medical Director and practiced at Access Wellness Group in Lexington. Dr. Parrish was a past president of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing and Editor-in-Chief of Perspectives in Psychiatric Care: The Journal of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. She was a prolific author and highly sought-after speaker at professional conferences.
Dr. Parrish's career was dedicated to service, not only to her patients and her students, but also to psychiatric-mental health nursing. Her contributions were recognized with many awards and honors over the years. Most notably, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and named Outstanding Alumnus of the UK College of Nursing. In 2021, she was named the American Psychiatric Nurse Association Psychiatric Nurse of the Year, the specialty's highest honor.
Dr. Janie Heath, Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing shared the following comments about Dr. Parrish. “She was a true gift, a continuous gift.” She continued to share that when Evelyn joined the faculty in 2016, it was an opportunity to bring a star alumna back home. Evelyn gave tirelessly of herself to her students and to the faculty, diverting her own energy to give to others. She was loved by everyone, from the housekeeping staff to the President of the University. She was authentic, able to de-escalate a situation just with her presence and people skills and always lit up the room. “This is a significant loss for us all, and she will be missed deeply.”
Evelyn was truly a fabric of ISPN as evidenced by numerous recognitions of her contributions including receipt of the:
- •2002 ISPN Clinical Practice Award
- •2011 ISPN Education Award
- •2016, 2017 Melva Jo Hendrix Leadership Award
- •2018 Susan McCabe Lectureship
She was also a Board Member on the ISPN Foundation Board from 2016 to 2020.
We join Evelyn's family, friends, and colleagues in celebrating her life and many gifts to advancing mental health and well-being in our local and global communities.
Please send us your favorite pictures, videos, and stories of/about Evelyn to help us compile a video celebration during our gathering at the 2023 Annual Conference.
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Publication history
Published online: November 16, 2022
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