Dana Kruse, a valued nurse at Orange City Area Health System, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Gwen Post, Sanford Health Nursing and Clinical Services Consultant, presented the award to Dana on March 13.
Dana has been a registered nurse at Orange City Area Health System since July of 2022 and was hired as a new grad from NCC in Sheldon. Prior to her position at OCAHS, Dana worked as an LPN for a nursing home in Sibley.
Dana was nominated for this award by Maggie Salas, a family member of a patient served at our hospital. In her nomination submission, she describes Dana:
“I want to nominate Dana for the Daisy Award. She provided incredibly compassionate care to my aunt, Bobby Reuvers, while she received hospice care for pancreatic cancer. Her care went beyond just the medical realm and she touched our entire family during a time of great need. She exhibited unbelievable empathy. She didn’t strictly address my aunt’s physical needs; she took the time to ensure that the family’s emotional and physical needs were met as well. She never left the room without asking if she could do something for us. She provided guidance, answered questions and listened always with a smile and warm demeanor. Dana provided an atmosphere of comfort with our family, which allowed my family to be more present during my sweet aunt Bobby’s final days. Dana is a true gem and we are forever grateful for the care she gave to her patient and the entire family.”
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by members of the family of Patrick Barnes. He was 33 years old and died of complications of the auto-immune disease ITP. Like many families we see every day who go through this kind of horrific loss, the Barnes family wanted to do something positive to honor the very special man Patrick was. So, as they say, over a very “liquid” dinner right after Pat’s death, they came up with DAISY—an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. As they brainstormed what the DAISY Foundation would actually do, they kept coming back to the one positive thing they held on to during Pat’s 8 week illness: the extraordinary care he and they received from Pat’s nurses. The family was very impressed by the clinical care Pat’s nurses provided, but what really overwhelmed them was the compassion and kindness that his nurses brought to Pat’s bedside day in and day out. The nurses’ sensitivity made a great difference in the Barnes’ experience, and they wanted to say Thank You to nurses for the extraordinary care they provide patients and families every day. Pat’s family created the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. What started out as a thank you from their family to nurses has grown into a meaningful recognition program embraced by healthcare organizations around the world.” –the Daisy Foundation
