ANMC nurse Mary Krusen earns DAISY Award
March 25, 2019
ANMC’s nurses provide culturally appropriate, family-centered care in a unique hospital environment, and they are constantly seeking ways to improve the services and care we provide. In an effort to further recognize our nurses for their outstanding work, ANMC partnered with the DAISY Award, an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day.
Congratulations to DAISY Award honoree, Mary Krusen, an RN on ANMC’s inpatient Medical-Surgical Oncology Unit (5 West) and in the outpatient Infusion Clinic. Krusen was recognized at an impromptu award ceremony where she was presented with a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, a hand-carved stone sculpture and a special beaded badge holder. Many of her colleagues and ANMC leadership attended the ceremony to show their appreciation and support for Krusen, who was surprised and thankful for the recognition.
Krusen received two nominations, one from a colleague and one from a patient. Krusen has worked as an RN at ANMC for five and a half years – the majority of that time on 5 West. In December 2017, Krusen was trained at ANMC’s outpatient Infusion Center and she now works intermittently in both areas.
“I am honored and humbled that both a coworker and a patient took the time to nominate me for the DAISY Award. I am proud to be part of the DAISY Award – the positivity and support I felt during the surprise gathering of the ANTHC team to present the award is a testament to the thoughtfulness of Patrick Barnes and his family’s ability to turn their loss of a loved one into a positive force for nurses,” said Krusen. “It feels good to be a part of that force. To me, the DAISY Award acknowledges the hard work and raw emotion that goes into helping a patient (or a coworker) on their best and/or worst day, and that acknowledgment is beyond encouraging.”
One of Krusen’s fellow nurses who nominated her, wrote: “Mary saved my patient from respiratory distress — she called a rapid response and stayed, helping give my patient meds for a long time, even with her own patient load. During this time, I was simultaneously providing care to a critically ill patient in the next bed over in the same room. Mary deserves to be the DAISY Award winner. Mary went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Krusen’s patient who also nominated her, wrote: “Mary saved my life on May 24, 2018. We walked every day. This day I couldn’t. Mary was very concerned and knew something was terribly wrong. She insisted the doctor get me to imaging and sure enough I had to have immediate surgery and stop my chemotherapy. My cancer had attached to my small intestine. Mary is a nurse that goes beyond the extra mile. She is compassionate, caring and great at her job in every way. The walks with her kept me in great spirits. Thank you, Mary, for my life.”
Krusen loves working at ANMC for a variety of reasons. She said, “I love my role of inpatient and outpatient oncology nurse as I am able to maintain relationships and care for patients throughout their different needs at ANTHC. Often times I see 5 West patients at the infusion center, or the opposite, and I enjoy our relationships along their paths. I also enjoy the dynamic of caring for people from or with roots in Alaska’s rural areas. I am interested in hearing the stories of people from Alaska’s many different communities. I also love the location of the ANTHC campus – between looking out at the mountain views and being able to commute on the bike and ski trails, I am inspired to lead a healthy lifestyle.”
Patients, their families and fellow ANMC staff can nominate nurses for DAISY Awards. Nomination forms and collection boxes have been placed throughout the ANMC hospital.
Subsequent honorees will be selected quarterly and each DAISY Award honoree will be recognized at a public ceremony in her or his unit or department. For more information about the DAISY Award program, please visit www.DAISYfoundation.org. For questions about nominating an ANMC nurse, please email Kimberley Carr at krcarr@anthc.org.