Altru is proud to announce Charity Samuelson, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, has been honored with the prestigious DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Charity was nominated for her exceptional care and unwavering compassion when working with a patient with disabilities.
Charity’s nomination came from a manager at Development Homes, a group home for people with disabilities. In their nomination, they shared a powerful story of how Charity went above and beyond to make an anxious and ill client feel at ease during a visit to the ER. Despite having worked an overnight shift, Charity’s patience, kindness, and ability to maintain a calm and positive demeanor stood out. She not only took exceptional care of the patient but also kept both the patient and the manager well-informed, all while offering moments of humor to alleviate the stress of the situation.
“I have been here many times with my clients or family, and I have never seen anyone with so much patience and kindness,” said the nominator. “Charity really has good skills for making a person feel comfortable.” The patient, who referred to Charity as “the nicest and funniest lady,” also felt the impact of Charity’s care.
The ER can often be an overwhelming and intimidating place, but Charity’s empathetic and compassionate approach helped make a potentially frightening experience more manageable for both the patient and their family.
“Charity exemplifies the values we hold dear: compassion, excellence, and service to others,” said Lisa Johnson, Altru’s director of Specialty Services. “Her ability to bring comfort to all our patients is truly extraordinary. We are grateful for her dedication to making a difference.”
The DAISY Award is a nationwide recognition that honors nurses who demonstrate excellence in clinical skills, compassion, and patient care. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known, but not uncommon, auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
From left: Jamie Nelson, ER Patient Care manager; Kristina Braaten, RN Patient Care supervisor; Charity Samuelson, DAISY winner; and Cory Geffre, chief nursing officer.
