Audrey A. 'Toni' Jones

Audrey ""Toni"" Jones, 86 years old, died peacefully September 1, 2012. She was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, Utah. The Army Nurse Corp paid for her basic nursing education at the University of Utah at the end of World War II. She earned both her Baccalaureate in Nursing and Masters Degree in Nursing Education at Brigham Young University. Audrey worked as a head nurse in pediatrics and later as a head nurse in the operating room at the University Hospital in Salt Lake City. She also worked with a private surgeon in the area. Audrey next served as Assistant Director of Nursing at Saint Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in Denver for over a decade. Audrey subsequently matriculated to the University of Washington in Seattle for 2 years to work toward a doctoral degree, but returned to Denver in 1968 for a position she felt she couldn't pass up. As Division Director of Health for the new Community College of Denver North campus, she designed and developed all the health career programs for the college in her first year there. She became a pioneer in associate degree nursing in Colorado by starting one of the first two associate degree nursing programs in the state. Audrey's program was unique in having an ""open door"" policy by admitting students into the program without the usual screening. This policy was based on research Audrey had conducted that demonstrated no correlation between higher scores on standard entry tests and screening interviews with student success in nursing programs prior to that time. In 1975 Audrey initiated a 1 + 1 Associate Degree nursing curriculum allowing students to earn their Practical Nursing Certificate at the end of the first year of the nursing program. This enabled them to work as LPNs while finishing the second year of the program and becoming eligible for RN licensure. In the late 70s the college moved to Westminster and was later renamed Front Range Community College. In the early 80's Audrey pioneered bringing LPNs from other programs directly into the second year of the Front Range Community College associate degree program without repetition of coursework. This action was the precursor to the historic statewide Colorado Nursing Articulation Agreement between all Practical, Associate Degree, and Baccalaureate Nursing programs in Colorado. Audrey received the Colorado Organization for Associate Degree Nursing award for ""Pioneer in Associate Degree Nursing"". She continued to serve as Division Director at Front Range Community College until retiring from full time work in the early 90s. Audrey continued to teach part time until age 70. Audrey's visionary force and support impacted the lives of many nursing students and nursing faculty in Colorado. She was a powerful mentor. Audrey loved to ski and fish, was a beloved friend to many, a caring family member, and a 50 year committed partner to Sue Bradford. Her feisty spirit, her cogent thinking, and her loving laugh will be missed by her friends, family and countless health professionals. Memorials may be made in Audrey's name to Project CURE, 10377 East Geddes Avenue #200, Centennial, CO 80112. A Memorial Service will be held at Holly Creek Retirement Community, 5500 East Peakview Avenue, in Centennial on Saturday, September 15, 2012, 11:30 AM. Please share your memories of Toni and condolences with her family by signing the guestbook.