Parkwest Nurses Recognized for Excellence with The DAISY Award

Three nurses were recognized during the second half of 2019 with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. This award
is part of The DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize outstanding performance and service given by dedicated registered nurses. The most recent recipients of this award at Parkwest Medical Center are Jordan Lang, Hallie Richards and Kim Martin.

Jordan Lang

Jordan Lang, RN, a nurse in critical care, was nominated by a patient’s family whom he cared for in CCU. “We received the call that our sister was on her way to the hospital in Crossville. She was quickly airlifted to Parkwest. We are from Indiana and made it down around 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning. We were able to visit with Dee for a few minutes.  “We returned by 8:30 a.m. and that is when we met Jordan. From the get go he was welcoming and very informative. Those two days were hard, it was touch and go (almost minute by minute). On Wednesday Jordan missed his lunch and stayed over to make sure Dee got through a very bad heart episode. This is when we began to realize just how special and extraordinary he really is!!! You really need to give this man a cape because he is a SUPER NURSE!!! “My husband works at a hospital and said if he could clone Jordan he would take him back to Indiana! He is the best example of what a human being and nurse should be. We have to leave to go back home today (Saturday), but can rest a little easier knowing that he will be with Dee most days. “Please give Jordan this award. If anyone deserves it, it’s him. Thank you, Jordan, from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you form always knowing what to do when the alarms would go off. For always knowing what to do or say to make it better for Dee and us!! You are so compassionate and caring and AMAZING.”

Hallie Richards and Kim Martin

Hallie Richards, RN, and Kim Martin, RN, were both nominated by a patient, Kaycee Miller, for the wonderful care they provided to
 Kaycee and her family. “My story includes two nurses as my husband and I navigated the worst situation in our lives. I am a patient of Dr. Schroeder and was brought in on Monday night for dilation. I was getting ready to deliver our baby boy, who no longer had a heartbeat.”

About Hallie

“Hallie was, thankfully, my night shift nurse who was an angel and the sweetest person I met. She didn’t try to come up with words to make my situation better; instead she prayed with me and listened. She checked on me regularly, more so than I would have imagined. After all, there were babies who needed her care on the floor. The way she spoke about my son was also the opposite of how I imagined. She reassured me he was a life worth celebrating and that he was special. He had his place in the nursery the second night. She brought him to me whenever I needed him. I am humbled and blown away by her spirit.”

About Kim

“My sweet, amazing, day-shift nurse Kim. She walked in with tears in her eyes as she introduced herself. She told me her prayer daily was that God give her the patients she needs to encounter daily. I needed her. I will be honest, going into Labor and Delivery knowing you will be leaving without a baby is a feeling I cannot describe. Especially with babies crying around you-somehow it was comforting, yet so hard. Kim played a big role in why it was comforting. My experience with her was better than my delivery with my first very healthy baby girl. She let me know I would feel my water break, and she walked me through the contractions. I really thought it would be a situation of ‘let’s hurry up and discharge this woman’ but she took her time with me. She was gentle and compassionate. She waited with me and she grieved with me. I did not once have to wonder where she was or if she was ever going to check on us-she was consistent and you could tell she was concerned and praying for us. She captured my sweet little baby’s footprints for me. We left with a birth certificate which she filled out. That in itself is so special. She related to me and did not once try to tell me how to feel or state any of the cliché sayings. Kim is real and I couldn’t have made it through the worst time in my life without her.

Kim also helped the team of nurses with Dr. Schroeder present my boy August to me. They were very respectful and careful in presenting us our boy. I am so thankful they treated him as they would any other baby. They spoke in his gender terms and once we said the name, began calling his name. They made this as joyful as they could. Somehow it did turn into a bittersweet celebration. Kim even checked on my husband over and over. I would hope she is with me when I am able to return to L&D one day. Looking in her eyes throughout the day gave me peace and comfort knowing that everything was ok, and that I was receiving the best care Parkwest had to offer. I had many visitors in my time and she was not put out by their questions or them being in her way.

I’ve honestly never experienced that type of customer service in a hospital before. I am not sure how either one of these ladies made it through our journey so gracefully. It is probably because of their faith and the pure evidence that they love their jobs and connecting with people to help get them through life.”

About The DAISY Award

All DAISY winners are presented with a DAISY pin, a certificate of recognition, an arrangement of daisies, cinnamon rolls,
and The Healer’s Touch sculpture symbolizing the relationship between nurses, patients and families. Congratulations to all of our DAISY winners. We appreciate their passion for nursing and commitment to always putting patients fi rst! To learn more about the history of The DAISY Award and The Daisy Foundation, visit daisyfoundation.org.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, and recipients are chosen by a committee at Parkwest Medical Center to receive The DAISY Award. To nominate a nurse today visit TreatedWell.com/DAISY.