DAISY Awards: Four St. Charles nurses, three nurse leaders recognized for excellence

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- St. Charles Health System recently recognized several nurses for their extraordinary service and abilities. Four nurses received the DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses, a national award that recognizes the outstanding, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day; and, new this year, three nurse leaders received DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Leaders.

The nurses earning DAISY awards are:

• Krista Munns, a MedicalServices nurse in Redmond, was recognized by a family for her care and compassion, sharing that “she was hugely supportive during a very difficult time.”
• Katie Pink, an Emergency Department nurse in Bend, was recognized for her “fervent application of clinical knowledge honed with her compassion and patience.”
• Janna Raber-Stevens, a Medical Services nurse in Prineville, was honored by a patient specifically for her ability to find a creative way to help them get some sleep, saying her efforts “made a huge difference in my outlook and attitude.”
• Riley Schafer, a Wound Ostomy nurse in Madras, was recognized by a patient for her tremendous care helping with a slow-healing wound, saying “Nurse Riley stood above the rest with her care, attitude and compassion.”

The nurses, who represent all four St. Charles hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville, were recognized with a ceremony on their respective units and presented with a certificate, a pin and a "healer's touch" sculpture by their hospital’s chief nursing officer.

St. Charles' inaugural winners of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Leaders are:

• Ryan Huebscher, assistant nurse manager, Emergency Department, Bend, was honored for his “empathy, gentleness and strength.”
• Kelli Jo Hammack, nurse manager, Inpatient Services, Madras, was recognized for caring, approachable style and her tremendous clinical knowledge.
• Bethany Klier, nurse manager, Wound Ostomy, Madras, was recognized for being intelligent, strong, loving and fearless.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Leaders gives staff members a way to express gratitude for the compassionate environment fostered by nurse leaders. They are recognized for creating an environment where attributes of trust, compassion, mutual respect, continued professional development and ethical behavior are modeled and supported. They promote and enhance the image of nursing within the organization, community and the profession. DAISY nurse leaders are accessible, available and advocate for their teams, encouraging compassionate, skillful, patient-centered care.

About the DAISY Awards:

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that was 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.

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.

About St. Charles Health System

St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, La Pine and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.