Washakie Medical Center nurse honored with DAISY Award

WORLAND - A nurse at Washakie Medical Center was honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.

The DAISY Award recipient is: Rachel Larson, who was nominated for showing caring, concern and going out of her way to make sure her patients are comfortable, according to a Washakie Medical Center press release. The nomination said, "when it comes to cancer, she truly gives a healing touch along with the Master above."

There were 10 additional nurses nominated and recognized for the DAISY award this year.

The DAISY Award is a program of the DAISY Foundation, a national not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. 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. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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.

The DAISY Award program started in 1999 and there are nearly 4,500 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing in all 50 states and 28 other countries, committed to honoring nurses with The DAISY Award, according to the DAISY Foundation website.

Nurses are nominated by anyone in the organization - patients, family members, other nurses, physicians, other clinicians and staff - anyone who experiences or observes extraordinary compassionate care being provided by a nurse.

The award recipient is chosen by a committee at Washakie Medical Center to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the Honoree's colleagues, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as an "Extraordinary Nurse." The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer's Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "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, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at [hospitals] are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award."

"We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day. It's important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that," WMC Chief Nursing Officer Lisa VanBrunt said.

More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.