Extraordinary nurses recognized at CHI

Nurses at CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington (CHI Carrington) were honored with the seventh annual DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses during National Nurses Week. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform everyday.

The 2018 award recipient is Haley Lura who was nominated for her exemplary care given to patients. Haley was one of four nurse nominees from CHI Carrington, which also included Cassie Tweed, Kim Schmitz and Amber Kruse.

The non-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 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 means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Each year, CHI Carrington’s Quality Board Committee selects a nurse for the DAISY Award. The committee is comprised of community members, designated hospital employees for quality assurance and members of administration.

At a presentation given in front of CHI Carrington staff and visitors, Lura received a certificate commending her for being an "Extraordinary Nurse" and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” which was hand-carved by Shonan artists of Zimbabwe

and southern Africa.

Cinnamon rolls were served at the presentation, symbolic of when Patrick, the patient who inspired the DAISY Award and Foundation, was sick. One day while Pat was in the hospital, he asked his family to bring him a Cinnabon® cinnamon roll, plus enough for all the nurses in his unit. With the help of Cinnabon’s parent company, FOCUS Brands, The DAISY Foundation carries on this tradition

by serving Cinnabons to all the DAISY Award attendees to recognize everything nurses do for their patients and families.

President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, Bonnie Barnes said, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at CHI Carrington are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

Vice President of Patient Care at CHI Carrington, Jodi Hovdenes said, “We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day and it’s important our nurses know their work is highly valued. The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

Lura joins previous DAISY Award recipients Bernadine Anderson, Michelle Belile, Angela Kutz, Jodi Hovdenes, Deana Uehran and Terah Weisenberger.