HUTCHINSON — The Daisy Nursing Award was presented Wednesday at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center to Lynsi Giles, a registered nurse at the hospital. The award, which recognizes extraordinary nurses who go above and beyond to provide exceptional patient care, is presented monthly to nurses across the country.

The award is part of the Daisy Foundation, a non-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of the autoimmune disease idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The foundation’s mission is to honor the compassionate care that Barnes received from his nurses and to recognize the extraordinary work that nurses do every day.

Each month, a nurse will be selected by a committee of nurses at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance to receive the award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending him or her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The honoree will also be given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

“Lynsi is an exceptional nurse who embodies the values of the Daisy Foundation,” said Jonna Jenkins, chief nursing officer. “Her dedication to patient care is unparalleled, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that her patients receive the best possible care.”

The adult child of married patients wrote about his family’s experience with Lyndsi:

“Both of my parents were sick the first week of March. Dad was admitted to the hospital on March 5, and Mom was admitted on March 6, the same day Dad was transferred to Hospice House due to his quickly deteriorating condition. My mom’s nurse, Lyndsi, called me to see if I would approve a special visit for Mom to go visit Dad at the Hospice House, which I of course approved. Lyndsi arranged the visit and Mom was able to spend time with Dad before he passed three hours later. We can never measure how much this meant to not only them, but our entire family.”

The Daisy Nursing Award is open to all licensed nurses, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse practitioners. Nominees are evaluated based on their commitment to patient care, clinical expertise, and interpersonal skills.