Wow, my first year as an RN has come to an end and to celebrate that I was recently honored with an award. It is nice to know that thus far I am accomplishing one of my goals as an RN. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of others. The hospital in which I work had a ceremony to honor the work that I have done and to appreciate my dedication to nursing.
I was awarded our hospital's first every DAISY award for Extaordinary Nurses. What an honor! Amongst the crazy days and challenges that nurses face everyday, I wouldn't be able to provide such good care if it weren't for the support staff and my colleagues being there to help out so that I can spend 10 minutes listening my patient. Below is the article that was featured in 3 of the local newspapers.

Everything’s coming up daisies for nurse
Award honors nurses as ‘unsung heroes’
By ALAN HAMARIahamari@cninow.com
Posted: Jan. 28, 2009

You could say Whitney Weideman was surprised.
When Weideman, a nurse at Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, gathered with a group of co-workers, hospital officials and members of the media Jan. 20 to honor the hospital’s inaugural DAISY Award recipient, she figured she was there to congratulate somebody else.

Instead, when the ceremony started, all the cameras and praise were pointed at Weideman, a Brookfield resident.
“Oh, it’s me?” she said, laughing.
Award honors nurses

The DAISY Award — short for Diseases Attacking the Immune System — honors nurses for exemplary service and dedication to their patients.
The award, given by the nonprofit DAISY Foundation, was established in California in 1999 by family members of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little-known disease of the autoimmune system.
Barnes’ family wanted to honor the nurses who took care of him during his illness, and the DAISY Award was born. The award has since been given to more than 2,000 nurses nationwide.

Angela Hoeppner, staffing systems coordinator at Community Memorial, said the purpose of the award is to pay tribute to everything nurses do for the hospital.
“Nurses are the unsung heroes of our society and deserve far more recognition than they receive,” she said.

Community Memorial plans to present the award to a nurse every quarter. Weideman was selected from a pool of more than a dozen nominees.
“It’s special,” said Weideman, who has been a registered nurse for a little more than a year. “I know that I’m doing the best I can.”
Patient cites attention
Colgate resident Steven Boguszewski, one of Weideman’s patients, nominated her for the DAISY Award. When asked why, his answer is simple.
“Because of the way she took care of me,” he said. “Just her concern and her response and everything.”

Weideman said she doesn’t have any particular style when working with patients — it’s just a matter of paying attention and helping her patients with whatever they need.
“Listen to the patient,” she said. “They can tell you what’s wrong.”

Nurse credits co-workers
But Weideman was quick to point out that she’s not the only one who deserves the award. She credited the nurses’ aides and other nurses she works with for helping answer patients’ calls and provide backup when she’s busy.
Without them, she said, she wouldn’t be able to provide the type of care that earned her the DAISY Award in the first place.
“It’s definitely a team effort,” she said.
Alan Hamari