DCH announces winners of Nurse of the Year Awards, Pillar Award and Daisy Award

Photos from the event can be found here.

During National Nurses Week, Daviess Community Hospital (DCH) awarded its Nurse of the Year Awards, Pillar Award and Daisy Award during the Nurses Reception on May 10.

Outpatient Nurse of the Year Award

The 2024 Outpatient Nurse of the Year Award was given to Breanna Graber, RN, of DCH Urology.

“She is a team player and isn’t afraid to try something new or help in other areas,” said Assistant Director of Nursing Jenna Bedwell, BSN, RN, LNCC. “She is very detail oriented and organized, which is very valuable when it comes to taking care of others.”

Bedwell noted that Graber has a team-oriented personality.

“She is always going above and beyond to fill in in other areas of the hospital or picking up extra shifts to help out,” Bedwell said. “She is very laid back and is open to discussion for learning, implementing new ideas and handles constructive criticism well.”

Graber recently obtained her BSN.

Other nominees for the Outpatient Nurse of the Year Award include:

• Alayna Summers, RN with Heartland OB/GYN
• Andrea Tumey, RN with CORE Center
• Megan Owen, RN with CORE Center
• Jessica Downey, RN with Daviess-Martin Medical Clinic

Inpatient Nurse of the Year Award

The 2024 Inpatient Nurse of the Year Award was given to Occupational Health Nurse Jennifer Shaw, RN.

Shaw’s nomination called Shaw “compassionate, caring, drama-free, dedicated and exemplifies the meaning of true professionalism.”

“She is kind to her core,” the nomination state. “She truly has a Christ-like heart. She’s humble and would be the last person who would want to be recognized because she’s just say ‘I’m just doing my job.’ Yes, she is, but gives a whole lot more than anyone would expect because that’s the type of person she is.”

Shaw has been with DCH for more than 25 years.

Other nominees for the Inpatient Nurse of the Year Award include:

• Jenny Roberson, RN, of the Emergency Department
• Melissa Potts, BSN, RN, of the Education Department
• Lindsey Zollman, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Angela Raber, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Ashley Abel, RN, of the Acute Care Unit
• Lacey Himsel, BSN, RN, of the Intensive Care Unit
• Ellen Gahimer, LPN, of the Acute Rehab Department

Nominations for both the Outpatient and Inpatient Nurse of the Year Awards were accepted in the spring and aim to recognize an RN or LPN at Daviess Community Hospital who:

• Possesses exceptional clinical skills
• Desires to improve his/her professional practice
• Exceeds in the role of preceptor
• Advocates for patients
• Demonstrates excellence in customer service
• Positively represents the hospital in the community
• Exhibits servant leadership

Pillar Award

Also honored during the Nurses Reception was Kristine Garland who was the recipient of the 2024 Pillar Award.

“Her organization and ability to wrangle the tasks asked of her is astonishing,” said DCH Quality Improvement Director Jennifer Butler, RN, CIC, CPHQ, CJCP.

Garland is a team player, Butler said.

“She is flexible and helpful to coworkers who float to us. She often takes time out of her day to make notes and tips for coworkers who are floating,” Butler said. “She is always willing to jump in and help when needed.”

Garland is also known for her personalized service to her patients.

“She takes the time to help patients navigate their issues,” Butler said. “If a patient comes to her with an issue, she helps the patient until the issue is resolved. She is always willing to listen and take the necessary steps to get the problem resolved or questions answered.”

Other nominees for the Pillar Award include:

• Katie Wise with the CORE Center
• Hannah Walker of the Acute Care Unit

Nominations for the Pillar Award were accepted in the spring and aim to recognize a support person - nursing assistant, obstetrics technician, emergency department technician, certified surgical technician, unit clerk, or telemetry technician – who excels in all areas of their work at Daviess Community Hospital.

DAISY Award

Marietta Wagler, RN, of the Obstetrics Department was the recipient of the 2023 4th Quarter DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Here is a portion of the nomination Wagler received: “Being first time parents, we were both scared on how to do anything! You made us feel safe and confident on how to take care of our baby. You shared information on things we didn’t even think about! The knowledge you have and shared with us has already made us less stressed to take on this big chapter in our lives. All the nurses on the unit have been amazing but you have shined the brightest. It’s the little things you have shared with us and helped us with that makes you amazing at your job! I hope you have a blast in retirement, it is well deserved!”

The 2024 winner was Steve Volling, RN, of the Acute Rehab Department. He was nominated by the wife of a patient who “has a complicated health history beginning with a shot gun injury when he was 15 that took the use of his right arm.” Later in life, the patient developed Parkinson’s Disease. In 2022, her husband was admitted to the Acute Care Unit “due to several falls with injury,” and Volling was working on the unit at the time. The patient’s wife wrote that Volling was “totally engaged” in her husband’s well-being.

She also wrote that while her husband was showing signs of dementia, Volling listened to her husband and treated him “with dignity and respect.” She noted that Volling provided both her and her husband with “great emotional support and security.”

“I observed you going above and beyond for other patients,” she wrote. “I am so thankful for nurses like you. I have spent my life working as an HR officer looking for people like you to care for our patients and their families. DCH found a great one in you!”

Other nominees for the DAISY Award include:

• Missy Tanksley, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Chelsea Stoll, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Sarah Chattin, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Sarah Hatcher, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• Lindsey Jerger, RN, of the Obstetrics Department
• John Swartzentruber, RN, of the Acute Rehab Department
• Brianna Helms, RN, of the Intensive Care Unit
• Michael Graber, RN, of the Intensive Care Unit

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. According to The DAISY Foundation, the DAISY Award celebrates nurses in more than 5,800 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing around the world. The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit 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 an auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired the creation of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, an evidenced-based means of providing nurse recognition and thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

“We are very proud to partner with DAISY as we have extraordinary nurses here at Daviess Community Hospital,” said Shawna O’Kelley Brinson, BSN, RN.

Graduation and Certifications

Also during the event, DCH staff who graduated or obtained certifications in the past year were also honored, including:

• Bachelor’s
  • Madison Wildman, BSN, RN
  • Breanna Graber, BSN, RN
• Doctorate
  • Jace Sama, DNP, RN
• Certifications
  • Katie Wininger, BSN, RN, RNFA, CNOR, RNA-C
  • Desiree Lewis, BSN, RN, Perinatal Bereavement Certification
  • Lindsey Zollman, BSN, RN, IBCLC
  • Lynda Plummer, AGACNP

Committee recognition

The DCH Nursing Services Week Committee, who not only coordinated the Nurses Reception, but also all activities during Nurses Week across the entire DCH footprint, include

• Assistant Director of Nursing Jenna Bedwell, MSN, RN
• OB Director Shawna O’Kelly Brinson, BSN, RN
• Senior Practice Administrator Jennifer Christie, LPN
• CEO Tracy Conroy, RN
• Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Devine, BSN, RN, LNCC
• Quality Manager Lindsey Fuhs, RN
• Physician Practice Administrator Adrienne McCracken, RN
• Jennifer McIntire, BSN, RN CRRN
• Director of Surgical Services Chris McLaughlin, RN
• Clinical Educator Melissa Potts, BSN, RN
• Grants Coordinator Carrie Shaw
• Behavioral Health Program Director Jana Sherar, LCSW
• Emergency Services Director Chrissy Wininger, RN

Photos from the event can be found here.