5 West nurse receives St. Agnes Hospital DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses honor

Stephanie Rose, RN, 5 West, has been named a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses winner at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. 

The DAISY Foundation is a 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.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues. The award recipient is selected based on specific criteria to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are presented to one recipient on a quarterly basis at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors. 

Rose was nominated by a colleague who wrote:

“Stephanie is the epitome of compassion and care for the whole person. She is consistently aware of the ‘whole picture’ and cares for not only the patients but their families too. We recently had a patient who was nearing the end of life and Steph recognized this. She spent the majority of her shift in the room comforting the patient. She recognized how hard it was for the patient who was unable to speak anymore. Because of the amount of time spent with the patient, she learned the ways the patient was trying to communicate, such as hand squeezes and eye blinks. Steph’s presence helped the patient feel calmer who was able to actually rest a bit. At the same time, another patient was here for a long time with no family involvement. She advocated for the patient to ensure staff were walking the patient in the hall and trying to keep the patient engaged in their care. Steph went out of her way to keep his spirits up and keep the patient physically active while awaiting placement. These are but a few examples of how amazing Steph is. If I’m ever in need of care, I would hope to have her as a nurse.”

Rose was recognized on February 13 during a brief ceremony. She received a certificate commending her 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.

“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” according to Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses St. Agnes Hospital are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

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