Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Dawn Westfahl is the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System DAISY Award winner for January.
According to a social media post from the hospital, a patient with over 40 years experience in healthcare said of Westfahl, "After emergency surgery, we were admitted and I was truly blessed to have Dawn Westfahl assigned as my nurse. Her professionalism and fantastic knowledge immediately helped put us at ease. She is one of the most technically knowledgeable nurses I have come across in 40 years of practice, but in addition, she reached me on a human level. I felt that she truly cared about me and not just a job. I really credit part of my quick recovery to her professionalism and expertise."
The award, which recognizes extraordinary nurses who go above and beyond to provide exceptional patient care, is presented monthly to nurses across the country.
The DAISY Nursing Award is part of the DAISY Foundation, a non-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of the autoimmune disease idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The foundation's mission is to honor the compassionate care that Barnes received from his nurses and to recognize the extraordinary work that nurses do every day.
Each month, a nurse will be selected by a committee of nurses at Hutchinson Regional to receive The DAISY Award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending him or her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The honoree will also be given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
The DAISY Nursing Award is open to all licensed nurses, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse practitioners. Nominees are evaluated based on their commitment to patient care, clinical expertise, and interpersonal skills.
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