Eleven Extraordinary Nurses Recognized with DAISY Award®

12/28/2022

Lutheran Health Network is proud to recognize 11 nurses with the DAISY Award for going above and beyond in providing compassionate care. The following excerpts highlight the most recent DAISY Award recipient nominations:

Kenda Amstutz, R.N.
Bluffton Regional Medical Center
From a patient’s nomination: Kenda went above and beyond to provide exceptional care. She copied information to send with me explaining terminology and conditions that applied to my diagnosis. She also gave sound advice, encouragement and definitely made me smile. After leaving the hospital, I received a sweet postcard saying “Thank you for allowing us to care for you." Kenda wrote a couple of sentences encouraging me to “take care of you” and alluded to a light moment of laughter we shared while I was in her care.

Kristen Smelser, R.N.
Dupont Hospital
From a patient family member’s nomination: Kristen was always incredibly kind and so easy to talk to. She encouraged and empowered me to make decisions for our babies. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but she reminded me I was a part of the team caring for them and my opinion mattered.

Bethany Hogan, R.N.
Dupont Hospital
From a patient’s nomination: We arrived at Dupont Hospital for the birth of our first baby. While all of our nurses were great, Bethany really stuck out and made a world of difference to us! We all felt calm because of the way Bethany handled my labor. She truly impacted our expectations and understanding of all things to come with future deliveries, and we cannot speak more highly of her.

Deirrien Moss, R.N.
Lutheran Hospital
From a patient family member’s nomination: My mom spent several weeks in the ICU. During the second week, Deirrien was our dedicated daytime nurse. All our nurses have been good, but she stood out as extraordinary. She was very attentive to my mom’s needs. She communicated with us about every aspect of care, demonstrating professionalism, compassion and attention to detail. Throughout my mom’s stay, Deirrien has been so caring, knowledgeable and compassionate. We were all happy to have her there on mom’s last day of her ICU stay.

Jacob Cannady, R.N.
Lutheran Hospital
From a patient’s nomination: When I came into the unit, all I heard about was this crazy nurse Jacob. As soon as we met, I knew it was true. We were both crazy. We picked on each other all the time. He would turn on my light and get me started walking. He would push me to walk faster and further each day. He was a big support for me: always pushing me, which I really appreciated. When I was discharged, he came in on his day off and wished me good luck. During my stay, I gained another son.

Natalie Parcell, R.N.
Lutheran Hospital
From a patient’s nomination: Natalie cared for me when I had several issues needing addressed at the same time. She assessed my needs and communicated well with other specialists. She is extremely focused on patient safety, meeting all patient needs and is very attentive. She advocated for my transition to the Rehab hospital so I could gain strength and be prepared to go home. Natalie collaborated with case management, physical therapy and occupational therapy for evaluations needed to discuss a transfer. She always smiled, is always personable and is patient focused. Thank you!

Nicole Stanley, R.N.
Lutheran Hospital
From a patient’s nomination: I received very good care from my physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. My family very much appreciated the doctors and one of my nurses specifically. Nicole took initiative with my care to stabilize me. The care saved my life.

Brenda Bammerlin, R.N.
Lutheran Hospital
From a colleague’s nomination: Brenda is known for going above and beyond for her patients. One example involved a patient who was having to do a lot of walking while in the hospital. Leading up to Halloween, Brenda took the time to decorate the patient’s device pole with Halloween lights and decorations and helped acquire enough candy for the patient to hand out during the walks. Brenda’s efforts made it fun for the patient and the people the patient interacted with on the walks.

Shaylee Kelly, R.N.
Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital
From a patient family member’s nomination: Shaylee was excellent at communicating with my elderly grandma. She took the time to make sure my grandma understood what was said and to communicate what she was going to do before doing it. She let the family know even the little details and answered any of our questions without rushing. Shaylee stayed on top of everything and exceeded our expectations. The family felt relaxed and comfortable with her.

Nurse Leader Awards:

Kim Clemons, R.N.
Dupont Hospital
From a colleague’s nomination: Kim Clemons is an exceptional leader. She is always willing to do what is best for the patients and her teams. She adapts to any situation with ease and sets a good example to staff and team members new to leadership. She has always been willing to help me with whatever I need. She is also never going to ask something of her staff that she won't do. She is always jumping in to scrub cases or taking a nursing assignment. She is a true example of leadership and deserves recognition.

Allyson Hurst, CNO
The Rehabilitation Hospital
From colleagues’ nominations:

• Allyson comes in every day displaying care and compassion for staff and patients. No issue is too big or too small for her to help resolve. She practices active listening to staff and patients. She is dedicated, hard working and possesses true leadership skills.
• I work alongside Allyson and watch her make a difference in patient care every day. She goes above and beyond to make sure patients receive the best care from every department. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do to make sure patients have the best experience at the Rehab Hospital.
• The type of leader I love to work with is kind, caring, upbeat, ambitious, open to new ideas and suggestions, willing to jump in and do what is needed and an advocate for those they work with. All of these qualities describe Allyson. She encourages everyone to recognize their strengths and be the best they can be.
• We are blessed to have Allyson Hurst as CNO at the Rehab Hospital. She is an excellent example to the nursing staff and others for what it means to be a servant leader. She is always willing to do whatever is required to make sure staff and patients have what they need to be successful.

 

The DAISY Foundation™ is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. In late 1999, Patrick died at the age of 33 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique way of thanking those professionals for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and their families.

Patients, families and colleagues may nominate nurses for this award from any Lutheran Health Network hospital, RediMed or MedStat urgent care clinic or Lutheran Health Physicians practice. Learn more at lutheranhealth.net/daisy-award-nominations.

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