Every year, Saint John’s takes the time to recognize each of its amazing nurses and the hard work they do to make Saint John’s a leading health center. This year, Nurses Week is being celebrated May 6-12 at Saint John’s with treats, gifts and awards being given out to the nurses throughout the week.
Saint John’s will also host an Evidence-Based Nursing Symposium, which will cover topics such as sepsis, diabetes and thoracic surgery. In addition, the Medical Staff will be continuing their long-standing tradition of hosting a dinner to celebrate its nurses and the care they provide.
During Nurses Week, Saint John’s will also be announcing its annual Preceptor and Charge Nurse Awards. The honorees are chosen based on nominations by their peers. The awards are supported by Saint John’s Nursing Endowment, a program set up to support nursing through education, equipment and any other needs that may arise. This program is able to exist through the support of donors such as the Brody family, who recently donated $1 million to the Nursing Endowment in honor of Sister Marie Madeline.
Additionally, Saint John’s is participating for the first time in the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing by honoring three of its outstanding nurses. The award, which is sponsored by Wells Fargo, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
“We see the DAISY Awards as a perfect way to recognize our amazing nurses,†said Dawna Hendel, Chief Nursing Officer at Saint John’s. “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.â€
For the DAISY Awards, nurses are nominated by family members, patients, physicians, peers and directors. The DAISY Committee then reads the nomination forms and selects the three winners. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.â€
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.†At the DAISY Award Ceremony, the honoree will also be given a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
“Every day and night, Saint John’s nurses provide compassionate care for our patients,†Hendel said. “Yet these unsung heroes aren’t always recognized for the outstanding work they do. By participating in The DAISY Award program, we are able to recognize everything they do to make Saint John’s a top hospital.â€
For more about St. John’s: www.newsaintjohns.org.
For more about the DAISY Foundation:www.DAISYfoundation.org.
