November 26, 2024

Skiff honors recipient of DAISY nursing award

By Stephanie Alexander

The five nurses who were recognized during Skiff’s first 2014 DAISY Award ceremony were, from left, Patty Habel, Sandy Verwers, Donna Spidle, winner Brenda Malott and, not pictured, LeAnn Zach. (Submitted Photo)

Brenda Malott, registered nurse at Skiff Medical Center, was recognized for her extraordinary nursing skills during the organization’s first 2014 DAISY award ceremony on March 13.

The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Malott following a nomination by Lora Mattson, Social Services Director at Skiff.

Mattson shared the story of a patient who had received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. The family, as would be expected, was very upset and in need of assistance. “Brenda was on call for Skiff Hospice,” Mattson said, “so she came to explain services to the patient and family. As she spoke with them, Brenda showed the many traits of a DAISY Award recipient.”

Mattson went on to describe how Malott demonstrated all of the Skiff iSpark values (integrity, service, passion, advocacy, responsibility and kindness) in the process of instructing and comforting the patient and his loved ones.

“It was truly extraordinary nursing,” Mattson said.

“It is truly an honor to win this award,” Malott said during the ceremony. “Working in Hospice is very humbling and I’m very passionate about it.”

Malott was among a total of five nurses nominated for this quarter’s DAISY Award: Patty Habel, Donna Spidle, Sandy Verwers and LeAnn Zach (nominated twice).

“Today there are nearly 1,600 health-care facilities that honor their nurses with the DAISY Award,” said Chief Nursing Officer Sheryl Tilus. “Brenda joins more than 40,000 nurses who have been honored around the world through the work of the DAISY Foundation. Our nurses have a special privilege of bringing a true human connection to their work and we are proud to say thank you to Brenda for being recognized by patients, families and colleagues for skillful and compassionate care.”

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.

To learn more about Skiff, call (641) 78-SKIFF (787-5433), visit www.skiffmed.com or "like" Skiff at www.facebook.com/skiffmed.