Purdue University Global nursing students, faculty receive prestigious DAISY Awards

WEST LAFAYETTE – Perhaps no word is more appropriately associated with nursing excellence than compassion. That quality is the basis for the DAISY Awards that are presented by the DAISY Foundation to celebrate the extraordinary compassion nurses provide their patients and families every day.

On Thursday, May 13, five students and four faculty members from the Purdue University Global School of Nursing received DAISY Awards in recognition for being extraordinary nursing students and extraordinary nursing faculty.

“The DAISY Awards are very highly regarded and well known in the nursing industry,” said Melissa Burdi, Purdue Global vice president and dean for the School of Nursing. “On behalf of our faculty and staff, we congratulate each of the Purdue Global honorees. They truly demonstrate the core values of the nursing profession, most notably compassion.”

Here are snapshots of the honorees, with comments from their nominators:

  • Deborah Adelman, faculty; Springfield, Illinois: “I felt Dr. Adelman was spectacular as a faculty member in encouraging me to continue my education. She was easy to work with, knowledgeable and always provided the utmost respect and fantastic feedback in regard to assignments. Dr. Adelman shows a true compassion for the profession of nursing as well as for educating nurses to enhance and move forward in their career.”
  • Carla Cerra, faculty; Minneapolis: “Her personal touch, her clear passion for professional nursing, as well as her extensive experience and knowledge, was inspiring. I learned so much, and I enjoyed every minute. I have been a nurse for almost 30 years, but I was able to learn new concepts, practice tips and positivity from Dr. Cerra. The class was challenging, but Dr. Cerra gave important tips. In addition, she understood the stress that we, as students, were under and did her absolute best to quell the stress with tips and encouragement. So much more than an instructor. I won’t easily forget her.”
  • Krystal Dabon, Doctor of Nursing Practicestudent; Columbus, Georgia: “Krystal serves our country in the military as a nurse leader in the Army hospital. She also is committed to making a difference in population health through community service with underserved populations. Krystal is an exemplary student who actively participates in the DNP courses and manages to balance work, life and school.”
  • Rachel Goldenstein, faculty; Independence, Iowa: “Rachel goes above and beyond for her students. She tries to meet the needs of each of her students, finding ways to connect with them and help them to be successful. She is able to structure her teaching for the beginning-level student to the student at the end of the program. She has a passion for teaching and it shows in her work and in the extra she does for her students.”
  • Carmen Gonzalez, Associate of Science in Nursing student; Grand Island, Nebraska: “Carmen is an excellent student, always willing to step up and address the situation. She is attentive to detail and strives to accomplish tasks that often demonstrate above-and-beyond expectations. She is very good in communicating with her peers and instructors, and is willing to step out of her comfort zone when required.”
  • Renee Grubbs, Master of Science in Nursing Student; Leonardtown, Maryland: “Renee is one of those nurses who truly wants to help people. She became wound/ostomy certified and strives to support patients with these conditions. She genuinely cares and has a heart of gold.”
  • Teresa Hayden, faculty; Polson, Montana: “Many individuals don’t understand the military veteran culture or our academic challenges. Dr. Hayden’s patience deserves an award by itself. She sacrificed numerous hours, texts, phone calls and inspirational conversations, and she elevated my writing ability, confidence and grades to a Doctorate of Nursing Practice level. With her commitment, inspiration and, ‘You can do this’ motivational spirit, my project finally received Institutional Review Board approval after eight months.”
  • Clay Jordan, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student; McCook; Nebraska: “Clay is a young nurse executive with a passion for empowering nurses to provide great care to patients of all ages in resource limited settings. Clay has served as a trauma nurse coordinator and has established a nursing orientation program. Clay is currently a chief nursing officer. Despite his busy life, Clay is diligently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University.”
  • Kerri Stone, Master of Science in Nursing student; Indianapolis: “Kerri is the most supportive, caring, loving and compassionate coworker I have ever worked with. She genuinely cares about that patients as well as those she works alongside. She would do anything to help people and goes out of her way to be helpful. Have any situation at all where you feel overwhelmed or incapable? Kerri’s there. She’s truly a blessing.”

The awards were presented virtually by Purdue Global School of Nursing faculty and Bonnie and Mark Barnes, cofounders of The DAISY Foundation. The couple created their mission of gratitude to nurses when their son, Patrick, died of complications of an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem. The DAISY Foundation partners with over 4,800 health care facilities and nursing schools internationally.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits, and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves 34,000 students (as of April 2021), most of whom earn their degrees online. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering, and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

Source: Melissa Burdi