Luanna Hoefler, 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 chosen 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. Hoefler was nominated by a patient’s family member who wrote:
“Our dad was admitted to this unit after suffering a stroke. Prior to his stroke, he was a fully functioning independent adult. Adjusting to his new normal has not been easy. From the first time we encountered Luana, we knew dad was in excellent hands. Luana is professional, personable, kind, compassionate and funny. She is also thorough and has an impeccable attention to detail. Early on, we were spending the night at the hospital. On one of our first nights, Luana draped me with a heated blanket. When I thanked her, she said her job was to take care of dad, but also to take care of his family. Any time we would see her name written on dad’s daily whiteboard, we would smile knowing we were getting the ‘A team.’ We were pleased in general with all of the nursing staff, but Luana is exceptional and deserves to be recognized.”
Hoefler was recognized on May 14 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.
