Two Trinity Health System nurse leaders were recently honored by The DAISY Foundation. Ruthann Belknap of Trinity Health System Twin City Medical received The DAISY Life-Time Achievement Award® For Extraordinary Nurses, and Jessica Porter of Trinity Health System was awarded The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Leader Nurses.
These awards are part of The DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
***
“She has made a profound impact.”
Ruthann Belknap was nominated by several of her co-workers who wrote:
“She started here after graduation from nursing school in 1965 and began a lifelong journey to care for the most important part of the hospital: the patient.
“After a brief hiatus to work in a larger OR system in Columbus, Ohio, she returned to Twin City in 1988 and since that time she has made a profound impact on the surgery department of this hospital, including training and growing the nursing services in the Same Day Surgery department in many unconventional methods – such as recruiting nurses in many different venues. One of them was interviewed at the hardware store.
“She has mentored and fostered many nurses and has always looked for new opportunities to bring needed services to the Twin City area.”
***
“She knew how to comfort us.”
Jessica Porter was nominated by a patient family who wrote:
“I can’t say enough how wonderful Jessica was. She checked on my mom and the family. She made sure she was comfortable and was being taken care of. She explained things to the family so that we understood. She was very kind and compassionate.
“She knew how to comfort us when we were concerned. I felt comfortable leaving my mom in her care. She is a wonderful person and nurse. Trinity needs more like Jessica!”
***
DAISY Foundation established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes
The not-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 auto-immune 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.
Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation: “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced firsthand 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 Trinity Health System are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
***
For a complete listing of healthcare organizations currently running the program, please go to http://DAISYfoundation.org.
In addition to the DAISY Life-Time Achievement Award® For Extraordinary Nurses and the DAISY Award For Extraordinary Leader Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 5,000 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nurses Advancing Health Equity, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, and through the J. Patrick Barnes
Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Medical Mission Grants, and their new Health Equity Grant programs. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
