‘It is impactful to know that you are making a difference’: Beloit nurse named 2025 Executive Nurse of the Year

BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — A Beloit nurse received statewide recognition after being named 2025 Executive Nurse of the Year. 

“It is impactful to know that you are making a difference. Because in my profession, you’re not just making a difference for your colleagues, but you’re making a difference for the patients in the community,” said Sharon Cox.

Cox, who was honored for the award last week, started as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Beloit Health Systems in 1998. Now, she makes sure patients are being cared for on every level. For her, nursing started from her own story.

“My father-in-law and my brother were both diagnosed with cancer in the same week. So, during the time of caring for my father-in-law, who unfortunately passed within a few months after his diagnosis, I had decided that I wanted to become a nurse,” explained Cox.

Cox said she’s humbled and touched, but the work she does isn’t for recognition.

“My story is being told, and people are hearing about the importance of ensuring safe, quality patient care. I do this to ensure that our patients in our community are cared for and that our staff and our nursing teams have the support that they need to be able to care for our patients with the heart and compassion that they all have,” said Cox.

Cox said she will continue her work for as long as she can.

“It’s important for me to make sure that our story about nursing is heard. So, I will carry the torch proudly. Making sure that I’m always at the front edge of what’s happening next for nursing, what’s happening next for patients, and working with the teams, working with myself, the teams at the bedside, the teams in the administrative office to always find quality processes to help improve that,” said Cox.

Cox and the Beloit Health System are working on converting all patient rooms to private rooms, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year.