By Sarah Morgan Johnson
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing alumna, Adjunct Instructor and Board of Visitors member Paula Midyette, MSN, RN, CCNS, CCRN-K, CNEcl, CDCES (BSN 1977, MSN 1980), will be inducted into the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame on November 13, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She is one of six nurse leaders who will be recognized for her outstanding service and profound influence on health care in Alabama.
“This honor is incredibly meaningful to me. It reflects not only my years of service and dedication to nursing but also pays tribute to the mentors, peers, colleagues and students who have shaped me along the way. I truly believe God has been with me in every role I’ve held and is responsible for any success I have had,” Midyette said.
This honor also is recognition of Midyette’s impact as a nurse educator, and she said she is honored to stand among such a distinguished group of health care leaders in the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame.
“This recognition underscores the importance of investing in future nurses. While we celebrate those who achieve advanced degrees and make strides in research or leadership, we must never forget that strong foundations begin at the bedside. That’s where I’ve devoted much of my time—educating and mentoring entry-level nurses. I once believed those honored in a Hall of Fame would only be researchers, authors or administrators, so I’m incredibly proud to represent the nurses who dedicate themselves to teaching and shaping the next generation at the bedside and beyond,” Midyette said.
Since graduating from the School with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1977, Midyette has tirelessly invested in the next generation of nurses. Early in her career, she found a passion for working with both adult and pediatric patients. To advance her career, she returned to the School to obtain her Master of Science in Nursing in 1980 and became a Clinical Nurse Specialist in UAB’s Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. During her time at the CICU, Midyette discovered a gap in specialized knowledge in pediatric cardiovascular nursing. Her commitment to this specialty led to her recruitment by the former Montclair Hospital (now Grandview Medical Center) in Birmingham to help establish a pediatric cardiac surgery program.
In 2006, she returned to UAB Hospital CICU as the Advanced Educator, where she led onboarding and training of new nurses. In 2012, she joined the cardiovascular nursing division at Children’s of Alabama to support the development of its emerging program. Throughout her career, she has trained hundreds of nurses to care for cardiovascular surgical patients of all ages.
In 2017, Midyette returned to the School again, this time as faculty. She has taught in the BSN program and the Accelerated Master’s in Nursing Pathway. Midyette has maintained a faculty practice in the cardiovascular nursing division at Children’s of Alabama and later at the School’s PATH Clinic, serving vulnerable adults with uncontrolled diabetes.
Midyette has devoted her career to nursing education because she knows the value prepared, highly competent bedside nurses bring to the health care system.
“I am passionate about training bedside nurses because they are the cornerstone of nursing. It’s critical that nursing students and new nurses gain solid bedside experience, because advanced practice demands real-world clinical expertise,” Midyette said.
Midyette feels the School has been central to her success and has nurtured her passion for both patient care and nursing education.
“The UAB School of Nursing equipped me with the knowledge and skills to pursue a career in patient care, advanced practice, and education. At every stage—from bedside care to CNS roles and now in academia—I’ve been supported and inspired by fellow UAB graduates and mentors who have helped lift me up,” Midyette said.