Texas County Memorial Hospital honored Dustin Luse of Willow Springs with a DAISY Award during a cinnamon roll breakfast ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 8, for all the DAISY Award nominees.
Luse has worked at TCMH since February 2024 and is currently a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the medical surgical department. The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is the highest recognition for an RN and licensed practical nurse (LPN) at TCMH.
The DAISY Award is part of the non-profit DAISY Foundation of Glen Ellen, CA. The family of J. Patrick Barnes established the Foundation. 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.
The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while Patrick was ill and hospitalized inspired the DAISY Award, which is a way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. The DAISY Award recipient must be nominated for a specific act of extraordinary care that the person making the nomination experienced.
"We take immense pride in collaborating with the Daisy Foundation to present this prestigious award, as TCMH is home to a remarkable group of dedicated nurses," Courtney Owens, TCMH Chief Nursing Officer, said.
Bill Bridges, TCMH Chief Executive Officer, presented the award to Luse.
"We appreciate everyone who took the time to submit nominations and acknowledge the exceptional contributions of our TCMH nurses. They consistently go above and beyond their regular duties. These remarkable actions highlight our nurses' dedication to providing top-quality healthcare services to our patients," Bridges said.
Luse received the DAISY Award from a nomination from Sherry, who submitted the recognition for his extraordinary care of her family member in the medical surgical department.
In her nomination, Sherry highlighted Dustin's exceptional skills as a nurse, noting his remarkable attention to detail. She mentioned that he thoroughly explained each procedure he was going to perform, ensuring that she understood what was happening.
Sherry remarked, “I don’t think I have ever had another nurse as attentive as Dustin! He had such a calming presence and made a genuine effort to keep me calm when I was struggling to understand the situation. He went above and beyond what was expected of him.”
Luse received a special DAISY Award pin, a recognition certificate, a bouquet of fresh flowers, and a hand-carved stone sculpture by artists in Zimbabwe called “A Healer’s Touch.” Cinnamon rolls were served at breakfast because Cinnabon cinnamon rolls were Patrick Barnes' favorite food during his hospitalization, and he always shared them with his nursing staff.
"Dustin is an outstanding nurse, and we are fortunate to have him in our medical-surgical department," Shelly Hawkins, TCMH medical-surgical and ICU director, said. "He truly deserves this award, and we are extremely proud of all he has accomplished."
Jamie Daniels, RN, ED; Maddie Moore, LPN, medical-surgical; Kayla Taylor, RN, medical-surgical; Tabatha Grindstaff, RN, medical-surgical; Matt Trentham, RN, Home Health; Jenny Langrehr, LPN, medical-surgical; Shelby Ellison, RN, director of case management; Tamatha Grunden, RN, ED; Lauren Atchison, LPN, medical-surgical; Nici Brotherton, LPN, medical-surgical, also received special recognition and a DAISY pin for being nominated for DAISY Awards at TCMH.
The nurses work in many hospital departments, including medical-surgical, obstetrics, emergency room, surgery, intensive care, home health, hospice, and clinics.
