March 28, 2024

Newman honored with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

Shayna Newman, registered nurse at Skiff Medical Center, was recognized for her dedication, patience, kindness and the professional care she provides during the organization’s first DAISY award ceremony of 2013.

The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Newman following nominations by her nursing director, Kris Hoyt, and a patient and her son.

“Shayna consistently makes her patient’s emotional needs just as important as their physical needs,” said Hoyt, reading aloud from the nomination she had written. “We recently had a young patient who had been hospitalized quite frequently. Shayna met this patient on his first day. She learned what his emotional goals were and in turn became his number one cheerleader. Even when she wasn’t working, but was at the hospital for in-service, she would stop in to cheer him on.”

Scott Howell, the son of a patient that Newman previously cared for, echoed Hoyt’s comments about Newman’s dedication to her patients. “I could see Shayna is very passionate about “her” patients and would probably walk to the ends of the earth to make sure they feel safe and secure in her care. I could not find a more deserving person for this DAISY award.”

On hand to greet nominees and present the award to Newman were Melissa Barnes, Regional Program Director from the DAISY award organization and Collette Clearly from API Healthcare, a corporate sponsor of the organization.

“It is a real privilege to be at Skiff today and take part in your ceremony,” said Barnes. “It’s wonderful that your organization recognizes the outstanding care your nurses provide daily. It is an honor to meet these nurses and hear about the differences they make in the lives of their patients.”

Newman was emotional as she accepted her award from Barnes and Skiff colleagues. “Thank you for this award,” said Newman. “I am so surprised. I love my job and am glad that I can make such a positive impact on my patients. I believe in taking care of my patients from the inside out, just like Kris described in her nomination.”

Newman was among a total of 11 nurses nominated for this quarter’s DAISY award: Arlys Boyington, Linda Brown, Stacey Dee, Ashley Foster, Carol Hammer, Lorrie Harter, Christine Hinshaw, Denise Ripperger, Leanne Schwickerath and Donna Spidle.

The DAISY award, presented in collaboration with The American Organization of Nurse Executives, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

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, 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.

Nomination forms are available throughout Skiff Medical Center.

The nominations are reviewed and award winners are selected on a quarterly basis by the Nursing Coordinating Council, which consists of professional nursing representatives from all areas of the organization.